My Bloody Reverie
by xXBlackOpalsXx
Summary: When Kelsie found a little leather book with no title in her attic she had no idea what she was getting herself into. Will nightmares that would have kept her awake as a child become pleasant dreams? Can she handle the tale of Sweeney Todd?
1. portal to the past

DISCLAIMER: I, xXBlackOpalsXx, do not own Sweeney Todd sob or any other characters in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The only characters I own are Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins. I also don't own any songs that may come up in this story unless I tell you otherwise. Please don't sue me!

Chapter 1: Portal to the Past

Kelsie Douglas, age ten, loved going up into her house's attic. It was always fun to dig through the many boxes to see what she could find out about her family. Whenever she found something of interest, whether it be an old picture or a doll, she would take it down and ask about it. Sometimes she would surprise her family by bringing down something that they hadn't seen in years.

One day Kelsie went up to the attic after lunch having the greatest urge to search the dusty attic. After tying her curly auburn hair in a ponytail, she opened the door and navigated her way around boxes she had already looked through, which she had marked with a red "X", going deeper in the attic. She went so far back she made it to the other end of the attic where there was a cedar chest. Thinking she hit the jackpot for the day, she opened the dust covered chest. She found many letters in the chest along with some yarn, knitting needles, white and red candles, a box of old white chalk, some candle holders, and finally a small leather book.

Along with looking at her family's old things and precious memories, Kelsie loved to read. So naturally, this small book made her break out in a happy grin. Ignoring all the other things for the moment, she took out the book and began to inspect it. She noted very quickly that the little book was old and needed to be handled with care. She held the book to her nose and inhaled. Kelsie loved the smell of new and old books. Interested in what the book was about, she began to flip through it.

Hexagrams, words in a language she couldn't understand, and words that she could comprehend flew past her eyes as she flipped through the book. She stopped on one page she could understand. "Past Portal," she read the title of the page, "Step one, draw the appropriate hexagram. Step two, place candles on points of hexagram. Step three, light candles. Step four, step into the middle of the hexagram star along with any other items you wish to take. Step five, say the incantation. To return to your own time, see next page."

It was when Kelsie finished reading that her young mind comprehended what she had found. She gasped and dropped the book in shock. Someone in her family had been a witch or a wizard! She couldn't tell who; everyone seemed pretty normal in her family. Maybe it was her great-great-grandmother or something. After all, she had once heard her mom talking with her grandma about taking a chest that was up in the attic when she got her own house to serve as a decoration. The more Kelsie stared at the book, the more interested she was to see if she had some magic in her blood.

Cautiously, she picked up the book as if afraid it would bite her. The page she had read was still open, and since that was one of the few she could read and understand, she decided to try that spell out first. Picking up the candles, their holders, the book, and the box of chalk, Kelsie made her way to a clear spot in the attic. She drew the hexagram and checked to make sure she had it right many times. The last thing she wanted was to have only half of her body pass through if the spell actually worked. She set up the candles and snuck downstairs and into the garage to swipe the hot pink lighter her grandma used to light up her cigarettes. 'Gramps really shouldn't have taught me how to use this,' Kelsie thought, clicking the lighter on to light the candles.

Once all the candles where lit, which cast an eerie glow around the room, Kelsie stepped into the middle of the hexagram with the book in hand. She hurriedly said the incantation and clenched her eyes shut. She peeked one eye open to see if anything happened. She read the incantation silently to herself, and then noticed something written at the bottom of the page: "Be sure to wear the necklace whenever any spell is cast."

Kelsie let out a frustrated sigh and went back over to the old cedar chest to look for the necklace the book had mentioned. She searched through the chest until she found a necklace buried in the chest. The necklace had a silver chain and attached to the chain were two silver crescent moons with designs engraved in them with a round amethyst stone set between them. Dangling from the first stone is another amethyst stone, but it was in the shape of a tear drop. Kelsie instantly fell in love with the necklace instantly.

She hurried back over to the hexagram and put the necklace on. Once again she said the incantation and waited. This time something did happen! The hexagram began to glow purple and became so bright. A wind began to whip around the hexagram causing the candles to extinguish and lightning began to spark throughout the whirlwind. Kelsie became frightened and began to scream hoping someone downstairs would hear her. No one came to answer her calls. It was if all time had stopped outside the moment she said the spell. There was a brilliant flash of purple light and Kelsie was gone.

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A/N: Yeah, I know, weird and probably bad, but I promise it can only get better from here! So keep a look out for the next chapter where we'll find out where exactly our young OC ends up! 


	2. Where Am I?

DISCLAIMER: I, xXBlackOpals, do not own Sweeney Todd/Johnny Depp (I can still dream that I do though!) or any other character associated with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The only characters I do own are Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins.

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've been doing so much with school and color guard that I have hardly anytime to write! But it's really paid off! We won second at our first competition! YAY!

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Chapter 2: Where Am I?

Kelsie felt as if she had been dunked in cold water, and she could hear wind rushing through her ears. Then, everything just stopped. She couldn't feel or hear anything going on around her, but she still refused to open her eyes. She then felt herself slam into the ground, but was numb to any kind of pain. Then her hearing and sense of touch returned. She could feel herself laying on a cold and bumpy surface. She could hear the sounds of people chattering as they walked the streets and horses clacking their hooves on the streets. 'Wait hooves?!' Kelsie thought, daring to open her eyes.

She found herself at the bottom of a flight of stairs sprawled out on the cobblestone floor. Grabbing the stair railing, Kelsie shakily pulled herself to her feet. Like a child learning how to walk, she wobbly and shakily took a few baby steps and promptly fell on her butt. She tried again and soon could begin slowly moving herself up the stairs. Once on the street above she let go of the railing and stood in awe of what surrounded her. People in clothes that would never be seen on a soul in her time walked the streets. Men wore old fashioned suits and women wore dresses with puffy skirts. Kelsie felt very out of place with her jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. A man came rushing by and shoved the poor girl that he mistook for a street boy out of his way, making her lose her balance. With a yelp she tumbled back down the stairs and slam back onto the ground. Her head met the cobblestone and everything went black.

When Kelsie awoke she found herself on a couch with a fire crackling in front of her. She sat and winced at the soreness in her chest. Her head was pounding so she reached up to massage her temples. Instead of feeling her skin she felt a cloth that had been wrapped around her head. "Oh, you're awake!"

Kelsie turned her focus to a very pale, but pretty, woman with wild red hair and dark eyes standing in the doorway. She was carrying a tray with a teapot and cups on it. "I was beginin' to think that you'd never wake," the woman said, her thick British accent coming through, as she set the tray down.

"Where am I?" Kelsie asked, bewildered by the accent, "Who are you?"

"Mrs. Lovett's the name and you're in me house, dearie. I found you at the bottom of the stairs leading to the bakery 'round noon."

"Am I in England?"

"Well of course you are! Where else would you be, France?! Now why don't you tell me your name and how exactly you ended up at the bottom of those stairs."

Did Kelsie dare tell this woman how she ended up there? She seemed trustworthy; after all she did take her into her home and took care of her. Kelsie ended up spilling her guts about everything that had occurred. She told Mrs. Lovett her name, about her family, how she found the book, how she wanted to try a spell, how she found the necklace, how it felt as she was traveling through time, how she ended up at the bottom of the stairs, and how when she got to the top of the stairs the man accidentally shoved her back down them. Of course, Mrs. Lovett stared at her like she was crazy; that is until she pulled out the book and necklace. Now Mrs. Lovett had to believe the young girl because she had evidence to prove her sanity with her. It was then that Mrs. Lovett decided to take the girl in until her injuries were healed; it's not like she had any place to go. Kelsie couldn't stop thanking Mrs. Lovett for believing her and helping her.

For the next couple days Kelsie had to stay on the couch because her ribs were still sore and every time she tried to stand up her head would get dizzy. Mrs. Lovett fussed over her greatly as if she was her own daughter; making sure her bandages were changed regularly and giving her three good meals a day are just some of the things she did to make her comfortable. On the third day of her stay Kelsie could freely move about Mrs. Lovett's house/shop without being dizzy and with little pain from her bruised ribs. After staying a week in the past of London, England she was completely healed and no longer had to keep her head bandaged. There was a scar, but her hair completely covered it so no worries.

One day Kelsie went with Mrs. Lovett to the market. Mrs. Lovett bought ingredients for her pies while Kelsie went around looking at some of the other items. It was one this day at the market place that Kelsie met William Hopkins. William came from a wealthier family, but was by no means snobby. He loved to play outside and get all dirty; much to the disapproval of his parents. The other boys who weren't as fortunate as him just saw him as one of "the guys" and played with him constantly. Kelsie had been walking by when they were playing a game of tag. "Hey, can I play?" she asked the boys.

"You? Play with us? But you're a girl!" one of the boys exclaimed, laughing.

"So?" Kelsie asked, "Just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't play tag!"

"We don't play with girls!" William said, "Especially with little baby girls! Go home and play with your dolls!"

By now Kelsie was getting pretty mad. Those boys were only about a year older than her and they were calling her a baby? 'And since when did you need to be a boy to play tag?" she thought, crossing her arms.

The boys just kept laughing and calling her a baby. Finally, Kelsie snapped. She balled her hand into a fist and punched the nearest boy, William. William fell to the ground and stared at Kelsie in shock. She stood above him with a smug look on her face. William rubbed his sore jaw, stood up, and lunged for her. William's parents had often told him to be kind to girls, but this thing wasn't a girl! A crowd of kids gathered around to see the show. Kelsie and William both felt someone pulling them off of each other. Mrs. Lovett had the struggling Kelsie, while William's butler held him back. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" both adults screamed.

"He/she started it!" both kids screamed.

Mrs. Lovett dragged Kelsie back to her shop and started to clean up her wounds. "He deserved it! Since when was it a crime to play with girls?!" Kelsie exclaimed, as Mrs. Lovett dabbed a wet towel on her scraped knee.

"You 'ave to understand something Kelsie; it's different 'ere. In these times girls play with dolls and learn to cook and sew from their mothers, while the boys play in the mud and learn to be men from their fathers," Mrs. Lovett replied, "It's uncommon for a girl to be willing to play in the mud and get rough like a boy."

"That's stupid," Kelsie muttered.

The next day William and his butler came to Mrs. Lovett's shop. William had a handful of daisies in his hand while his butler literally dragged him to Mrs. Lovett. "Is that girl here?" he muttered, looking like he wanted to be any place but in the shop.

"Yes she is dearie; just a moment."

Kelsie came down the stairs when she heard Mrs. Lovett call her. She gave William that 'oh, it's you' look before turning to Mrs. Lovett. "Did you need something?" she asked.

"No, but this boy here wants to day something to ya," Mrs. Lovett replied.

William walked up to Kelsie and handed her the flowers. "I'm sorry for hurting you miss," William grumbled.

Kelsie took the flowers and then said, "I'll forgive you if I can play with you guys."

"WHAT!? I-I mean, uh, okay."

From then on Kelsie and William were the best of friends. Even William's other friends began to like and accept her. She was like one of the guys to them. The girls that lived on or around Fleet Street thought she was odd and never talked to her because she was the weird dressed in odd clothes and played in the mud with the boys.


	3. Found Out

DISCLAIMER: I, xXBlackOpals, do not own Sweeney Todd/Johnny Depp (I can still dream that I do though!) or any other character associated with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The only characters I do own are Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins

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Chapter 3: Found Out

After two weeks Kelsie decided it was best if she went home. Her mom and the rest of her family must have been scared and worried by her disappearance. They probably had the police searching high and low for her. She told her friends that she was returning to her hometown, but would come to visit as often as she could. The only two people who knew the truth about where she was going was Mrs. Lovett and William. (She ended up telling William about not being from his time because she trusted him the most out of her friends.)

She went down into the grinder room with Mrs. Lovett. Kelsie never really liked the room; the massive oven and grinder scared her immensely. But this room was secluded enough for Kelsie to recite the spell to return her home. She turned to the page with the spell and, with the help of Mrs. Lovett, drew the hexagram on the page and set some candles. "You will come back, won' you?" Mrs. Lovett asked, lighting the last candle.

Over the past couple of weeks Mrs. Lovett had grown fond of the young girl. It was like having a daughter of her own. She didn't want to let her go back; she would have to return to being a lonely widow with only her pies to keep her company. She was snapped from her thoughts when Kelsie hugged her tight around the middle. "I promise to come back and visit," Kelsie replied, "You and William are my best friends! I can't just not come back and visit!"

Once she released herself from Mrs. Lovett, Kelsie walked into the middle of the hexagram. She waved to Mrs. Lovett before starting to recite the spell. The hexagram glowed purple and the whirlwind surrounded her. Mrs. Lovett back up from the raging wind and lightening sparking from it. She could make out the form of Kelsie standing calmly in the middle of all chaos. There was bright flash of purple light and she was gone.

Kelsie felt the familiar feeling wash over her as she traveled through time. After she plummeted to the ground she cracked open an eye. She was back in her attic and everything looked like it had when she left. She looked at the clock on the wall and gasped when she realized that it was still 1:31; the exact time she cast the spell to go to the past. She heard steps coming up the stairs so she quickly shoved a box over the hexagram to hide it. "Kelsie is everything alright?" her mother asked, coming in through the attic door, "I heard a thump from downstairs."

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine! I just accidentally tripped over a box. Nothin' big!" Kelsie replied, trying not to sound nervous.

"Clumsy as always; well come on I need your help with the dusting."

"Ugh, great…."

Since the discovery that time didn't pass when she left her time, Kelsie began making frequent visits to the past to see Mrs. Lovett, William, and the rest of her friends. Her mom became concerned over the years at how much time Kelsie stayed up in the old, dusty attic. Also it seemed that her parents were saying that they had been losing their lighters more frequently.

* * *

"You can't leave!" a twelve-year-old Kelsie cried, tears building up in her eyes, "Please don't leave Will! You're my best friend!"

"I'm sorry Kelsie, but my dad wants me to sail the seas with him," a thirteen-year-old William replied, packing a bag of clothes.

"Wh-when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

'Tomorrow!? That means we can't spend any time together before you have to leave!"

"We're spending time together now aren't we?"

"You know what I mean Will! I want to go play one last game of tag or something with you!"

"We're getting to old to play tag Kels."

"Why not play for old times sake? After all, it was that game that got us to be friends in the first place."

William smiled and rubbed his jaw at the memory. For a girl she had a good punch.

**_The Next Day_**

Kelsie stood with William on the docks. She was trying her best not to cry; it would show him that all she was, was a weak, little girl. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," she muttered, sticking out her hand awkwardly.

Instead of shaking it William kissed it. "I guess it is; for now at least."

William turned and started heading up the ramp leading to the ship. "WILL!"

He turned around just in time to be tackled to the ground. Kelsie was clutching to him tight crying her eyes out. It was then that he realized how much he was going to miss her. Mrs. Lovett came and dragged Kelsie off the ramp. Once he was on the ship it set sail. "I'll come back for you one day Kelsie!" she heard him shout as she raced after the ship.

"I can't wait!" she shouted back.

"And on that day I'll make you my wife," William murmered to himself, watching her figure grow smaller.

* * *

It was Kelsie's thirteenth birthday and she had promised to visit Mrs. Lovett for awhile before she had her party with her family. She had the candles set and lit with another lighter she had stolen from her grandparents. She clipped the necklace around her neck and flipped to the page she had dog-eared in the old spell book. She stepped in the middle of the hexagram, but didn't get one word out when her mom walked in. Kelsie stood floored to the spot in fear when she saw her mother. There was no time to hide this time.

Kelly, Kelsie's mom, couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her daughter was standing in the middle of a chalk hexagram holding a little leather book. She knew exactly what was going on. Her grandmother had been a witch and often drew those circles to cast a spell, and she also read the spells from the little book in her daughter's hand. The necklace around Kelsie's neck had also been her grandmothers. Her grandmother was a freak! No, this witch business wouldn't happen again!

Kelly roughly grabbed her daughter by the wrist and dragged her from the attic. "I WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER ONE IN THIS FAMILY; ESPECIALLY YOU! YOUR GREAT-GRANDMA WAS ENOUGH! I KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF ALL THOSE THINGS!" Kelly screamed, dragging Kelsie along the hall.

Kelsie struggled with all her might to break free from her mother's hold. Kelly flung open Kelsie's bedroom door and shoved her in. Kelsie landed in a heap on the floor, but quickly scurried to a corner of the room clutching the spell book to her chest. "Give them to me!" her mother hissed, "Give me that book and necklace!"

"No!" Kelsie cried, "I can't abandon my friends!"

_SLAP! _Kelsie's head lurched to the side from the impact of her mother's hand to her cheek. She was too in shock to let the tears fall that had welded up in her eyes. Kelly wrenched the book from her grasp and roughly unhooked the necklace. "You are never to go into that attic alone again!" was her mother's final words as she slammed the door behind her.

Kelsie finally let the tears fall. Sobs wracked her body as she crawled into her bed. It was the worst birthday in the history of birthdays! "I didn't even get to say goodbye!" she sobbed into her pillow, "I'll never see Mrs. Lovett or William again!"


	4. Hello Again

DISCLAIMER: I, xXBlackOpals, do not own Sweeney Todd/Johnny Depp (I can still dream that I do though!) or any other character associated with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The only characters I do own are Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins. I also do not own any songs that may come up in this story; unless I say otherwise.

A/N: Thanks to all those who have been reviewing!

Chapter 4: Hello Again

The years went by and Kelsie soon gave up on ever getting her book and necklace back. She let her memories of Mrs. Lovett and William slip to the back of her mind; trying to make herself believe it was all a dream. She threw herself into studies and even joined the color guard when she got into high school. Those things kept her mind off Mrs. Lovett and William, but it also kept her mind off her grandfather. Her grandfather's health had been steadily declining; he was sick most of the time and very weak. The doctors said he didn't have much time left.

Mrs. Lovett had also tried forgetting Kelsie. When she didn't come on her birthday she didn't think anything of it. But when she didn't come for two months she decided that Kelsie wasn't coming back and it would be best to forget about her. She made her pies, but they were getting even worse. At least when Kelsie was around the pies became a little bit better. Guess the mood she was in decided if the pies were good. If she was happy then they became a little better and even drew in a few costumers; if feeling depressed or nothing at all, they were bad.

Then one day a strange costumer came wandering into her shop. He had really dark brown hair that could be mistaken for black and a white stripe running through it causing quite the contrast. His eyes were so dark that Mrs. Lovett swore they were black as ink and he had heavy dark circles. She gave him one of her old pies and chatted with him about how her pies were the worst pies in London and about the hard times; she did all the talking. She saw his reaction to her pies and brought him to the back for something a bit stronger than ale. He asked about the room above and why she didn't rent it out and she began to tell him the tale of Benjamin Barker; the man she had secretly loved for years. As she told her tale she began to realize who the man was. Her suspicions were confirmed by his reaction when he told her Lucy was raped by Judge Turpin. "So it is you," she whispered in awe, "_Benjamin Barker_."

"No! That man is dead! It's Todd now, _Sweeney Todd_. And he will have his revenge!" Sweeney Todd replied, voice full of malice.

Though this new Benjamin Barker scared her somewhat, Mrs. Lovett couldn't help but be as attracted to him as much as she was fifteen years ago, if not more. She was getting ready to lead him to his old apartment when the door to the shop was violently flung open. A streak flew past Mr. Todd and collided into Mrs. Lovett making her stumble backwards slightly. Shocked, she looked down and saw a girl sobbing into her bosom. A head full of curly, auburn hair was all she could see. She pulled the girl away to get a good look at her. Though she had grown into a lovely, young woman, it was still her. "_Kelsie_?" she had to ask.

The girl nodded, bottom lip quivering. "He's gone Mrs. Lovett! He's gone! My grandpa's dead!" she sobbed.

Mrs. Lovett hushed her and pulled her back into her, leading her to the couch. "It's okay dear," she murmured into her hair.

Mr. Todd just looked at them in shock. The girl was dressed in such odd clothing! Men's trousers made out blue material and a dark blue shirt made out of cotton and only having thin straps for sleeves. He looked to Mrs. Lovett for an answer to this strangely clad girl's appearance in the shop, but all she did was shake her head and gently rocked the girl back and forth. Once her sobs and turned into little sniffles, Mrs. Lovett let Kelsie sit up. Kelsie wiped at the tears still running down her cheeks. She sniffed and then smiled softly at Mrs. Lovett. "You know, he told me to come back here," Kelsie said, playing with the crescent moon necklace around her neck, "He's known about me coming here since my second time coming. He told me that I would be happier here."

"You can stay as long as you want, luv. You're always welcomed here in Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies," Mrs. Lovett said, "I'm so glad to see ya! It's been so long!"

"I know! Five years have felt like an eternity!"

"So that would make ya wot? Eighteen?"

Kelsie nodded and smiled a little again. "Sorry Mrs. Lovett, but would you mind if I took a nap or something?" she asked, her smile turning back into a frown.

"Course, luv! You remember where ya room is?"

"Yeah, later come wake me up and I'll get my stuff from down in the bakery."

Kelsie wandered upstairs and left Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett alone. "I suppose you're wondering who that lass was, no?" Mrs. Lovett asked, after hearing the door close, "Her name's Kelsie Douglas, I've known her since she was about ten years old. She's a witch from the future you see Mr. Todd. Not bad though; that girl wouldn't harm any soul with her magic. She cast a spell that sent her to this time one day and that's how we met. Ever since she's been like the daughter I've never had. But one day, she didn't come. I waited and waited, and finally gave up on seeing her again. I suppose her mother found out about her being a witch and took her book and necklace away. Without her book and necklace Kelsie can't cast a single spell. Now she back again! Mr. Todd it's so wonderful being able to see you both again! She's grown so much since I last saw her. Makes me heart warm at the sight. Such A pretty, little thing she's become!"

Mrs. Lovett looked like she was on cloud nine. She has gotten the two people she loved most in the world to come back to her. And on the same day too! She felt so lucky! She could feel that things were only going to get better for her from there. Maybe she would be able to woo Mr. Todd and then all three of them would be one little happy family. Maybe they could even get a house by the sea! How Mrs. Lovett had dreamed of a house by the sea with her husband and children. With these daydreams in mind, Mrs. Lovett climbed the stairs to the old barber's shop humming merrily to herself. Mr. Todd followed behind her wondering what she could possibly have for him up in his old shop.


	5. Best Friends

DISCLAIMER: I, xXBlackOpals, do not own Sweeney Todd/Johnny Depp (I can still dream that I do though!) or any other character associated with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The only characters I do own are Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins.

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A/N: Once again thanks to all those who are reviewing! A special thanks to Icefire305 for her message!

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Chapter 5: Best Friends

Kelsie woke up in her bedroom and stretched. Mrs. Lovett never did wake her up, but she did find her things in a pile by her bed. A suitcase she had hurriedly stuffed a portion of her closest and undergarments in, a make up case, her flute case, and a binder with music in it for said flute. Kelsie unzipped her suitcase and began putting her clothes away in the dresser. After her suitcase was empty she wandered downstairs.

She found Mrs. Lovett at a table rolling out some dough with her rolling pin. "What time is it?" Kelsie asked.

"'Bout time for supper, I was going to wake ya up earlier to get your stuff, but you looked so tired," Mrs. Lovett replied, wiping her flour covered hands on her dress.

"Thanks for bringing my stuff in. Need help with cooking dinner?" Kelsie asked.

"Sure why not. We're making some vegetable stew."

Together, Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett made some vegetable stew. As they cooked they told each other how there lives had changed over the years. Mrs. Lovett said that she hadn't changed much. Kelsie told Mrs. Lovett all about how she was a senior in high school and how she joined the color guard. (She had to explain color guard in full detail to get Mrs. Lovett to understand what it was.) "No wonder you look so much thinner! All that running around and tossin' flags about," Mrs. Lovett said.

"Yeah, I guess I have lost a bunch of weight since the last time we saw each other. So, who's that guy from earlier? I don't think I've ever seen him around the shop before? Is he new to London?"

"His name is Sweeney Todd. He's not exactly new to London. Do you remember the story I told you about Benjamin and Lucy Barker?"

"Sort of, refresh my memory please."

_"__There was a barber and his wife.  
And he was beautiful...  
A proper artist with a knife,  
but they transported him for life.  
And he was beautiful..."_

"Transported him for life? What did he do to deserve it?"

"His crime was foolishness," Mrs. Lovett said sadly, _"He had this wife, ya see.  
Pretty little thing,  
silly little nit.  
Had her chance for the moon on a string...  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
There was this judge, ya see...  
Wanted her like mad!  
Everyday he sent her a flower  
but did she come down from her tower?  
Sat up there and sulked by the hour  
still she wouldn't budge from her  
Poor fool!  
Ah, but there was worse yet to come  
Poor thing!  
Well, Beadle calls on her all poor light  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
The judge, he tells her, is all contrite.  
He blames himself for her dreadful plight.  
She must come straight to his house tonight!  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
Of course when she goes there...  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
They're having this ball all in masks.  
There's no one she knows there!  
Poor dear!  
Poor thing!  
She wonders, tormented and drinks!  
Poor thing!  
The judge has repented, she thinks.  
Poor thing!  
"Oh where is Judge Turpin?" she asks...  
He was there, alright!  
Only not so contrite!  
She wasn't no match for such craft, ya see.  
And everyone thought it so droll.  
They figured she had to be daft, ya see.  
So all of them stood there and laughed, ya see!  
Poor soul!  
Poor thing!"_

"That's horrible!" Kelsie gasped, "But what does that have to do with Mr. Todd?"

"Sweeney Todd is Benjamin Barker! 'E escaped from the prison in Australia!"

"Where are his wife and child? Shouldn't he be with them instead of up in that old shop?"

"That's what he 'oped; to come home to a wife and child, but Lucy 'ad poisoned herself not long after being rape and the Judge took their daughter Johanna as his own. Now don't go talking about when Mr. Todd's around, ya hear?"

"Loud and clear Mrs. Lovett. Consider my lips sealed."

Kelsie dished out three bowls of soup and gave one to Mrs. Lovett. "Would you mind taking that bowl up to Mr. Todd, dear?" Mrs. Lovett asked, nodding to the bowl on the counter.

"Sure," Kelsie replied, getting up from the booth.

Kelsie was somewhat nervous about taking Mr. Todd his food. She had never official met him and Kelsie hated introducing herself. She grabbed the bowl anyway and walked out of the shop and up the stairs to the old barber shop. Kelsie remembered going into the shop once or twice with William. Mrs. Lovett used to tell them that ghosts haunted the old shop, but when they went up there, there was only an old crib, a vanity mirror, a broken mirror by the wall, a giant window, and lots of dust. Kelsie had lifted the sheet covering the crib and found bunches of old pictures and an old doll. She figured that they belonged to someone so she put the sheet back over the crib. 'They must have belonged to the Barkers,' Kelsie thought, climbing the last step, 'The doll must have been Johanna's.'

Kelsie looked through the door's windows and saw Mr. Todd with his back facing her and gazing out the big window. She softly knocked on the door to get his attention. He turned and she could see his glare from across the room. "What?" he growled when he opened the door.

"Mrs. Lovett wanted me to bring up your dinner," Kelsie stuttered out.

"I'm not hungry," he replied, shutting the door in her face and going back to the window.

"Well, fine! More for me and Mrs. Lovett," Kelsie muttered, going back down the stairs.

The next morning Kelsie got up and went downstairs in her pajamas. (A tank top and sweats.) "Good morning!" she said through a yawn.

"Good mornin' to you too!" Mrs. Lovett replied, handing Kelsie a bowl of oatmeal.

Kelsie's smile faltered slightly; oatmeal was her grandpa's favorite meal. She hadn't completely gotten over his death yet. He still plagued her dreams while she slept. Silently, she ate the oatmeal while thinking about her grandpa. She lifted her head when she heard the bell that was hanging above the door chime.

A boy around her age came in and Kelsie had to admit he was quite handsome. He had brown hair that went down to his shoulders and the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. He was a good six inches taller than her 5'5" stature and looked like he had some muscles going on underneath that shirt. "Mrs. Lovett?" he asked, not seeing Kelsie in the booth.

"Yes, tha' would be me. Wot can I do for ya, dearie?" Mrs. Lovett replied.

"Don' cha recognize me Mrs. L? It's me, William Hopkins!"

"Will!?" Kelsie screamed.

William turned to look, but had to instead catch himself from falling when Kelsie launched herself into his chest. "Kelsie?" he asked in disbelief.

To him she had grown even more beautiful. Her hair was still as curly as ever, but still not nears as curly as Mrs. Lovett's, her body had grown even curvier, and her smile was as cute as it was when he first met her, if not cuter. He smiled down at her and hugged her tight. "Still haven't grown any I see," he observed.

"Hey! I have to grown taller! It's just that you grew taller too! Besides, I can still beat you up!"

"I beg to differ!"

Kelsie let out a terrified shriek as William lifted her off her feet and hoisted her on his shoulder. She struggled and yelled trying to break free from his iron-like grip. Mrs. Lovett laughed at the comical sight. All the laughter and shrieking stopped when Mr. Todd walked in. "What is this racket?" he growled, glaring at them all.

"Sorry Mr. Todd, Will here surprised me." Kelsie said, still flung over Will's shoulder.

Will let her down and then turned to Mr. Todd. "William Hopkins, sorry if I disturbed you in any way. I was just trying to prove something to Kelsie over there," he said, holding a hand out for a shake.

"See that it doesn't happen again. I don't want anymore disruptions," Mr. Todd muttered, turning to go back outside.

"He seems pleasant," William said sarcastically, dropping his unshaken hand.

"He's just like that, you'll have to excuse him," Kelsie said, "Let's go out for a bit Will."

"You won't be goin' anywhere with those on!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed, pointing to Kelsie's sweat pants and tank top.

"But Mrs. Lovett you let me go around all the time with stuff like this on!"

"When you were a little girl I did! You're a young lady now; you need to start dressin' like one. Especially if you're going to be staying in this time from now on."

Kelsie sighed irritably. "Well, I guess we'll have to hang out here today Will. I don't have any dresses and I know Mrs. Skinny over there won't have anything that would fit me."

"It's quite all right; I'm happy wherever I am as long as if it's with you."

A dark blush flared up on Kelsie's cheeks. He never used to say things like that to her. Never. She didn't know how to reply to that. She just nodded and sat down beside him at a booth. The two talked about how their lives had been since the day they had last saw each other. William had sailed the seas and become quite the hard working sailor. (His father had given up on making him being a high class citizen and let him become a sailor.) Kelsie listened to all his adventures and descriptions of all the places he went. "I wish I could go to all those places. They sound great!"

"Then I'll just have to take you with me next time then. I won't be leaving for awhile now though; I want to stay in London for a little longer. I need a break from all that sea! But I promise I'll take you with me when I do leave. We'll sail the seas together!"

"That sounds nice."

Mrs. Lovett watched the exchange between the two kids with a mischievous grin that could rival the Cheshire cat's. It became even wider as they inched closer to each other and lace their fingers together under the table. 'Looks like best friends are starting to become more than best friends,' she thought, her grin never ceasing for a moment.


	6. I Think He Fancies You

**DISCLAIMER:** I, xXBlackOpals, do not own Sweeney Todd/Johnny Depp (I can still dream that I do though!) or any other character associated with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The only characters I do own are Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews!! Sorry for the long delay. I've been so busy lately!

* * *

Chapter 6: I Think He Fancies You

Kelsie groaned in despair in the middle of the night a few days later. She hadn't been able to fall asleep all night because of the thumping of feet pacing about above her head. Mr. Todd had been pacing all night preventing any sleep for Kelsie. If she wasn't so scared of him/shy she would have stalked up there and let him have a piece of her mind, but because of her fear/shyness all she could do was mentally cuss him out. _'Shut up!'_ she roared in her head, pulling a pillow over it to block out noise, _'Shut up, shut up, shut up!'_

Eventually the thumps from above her lulled her into a very restless sleep. She tossed and she turned all night long. Just when she stopped moving and began to sleep peacefully she was abruptly shaken awake by Mrs. Lovett. "Wake up dearie. We're going to the tailor's to get your dresses today!"

Another groan of despair escaped Kelsie as she sat up. She tumbled out of her bed and onto the floor, much to the amusement of Mrs. Lovett. "Come along Kelsie, we don't have all day," she said, turning to walk out, "I laid out an old dress that should fit you."

The eighteen year old stood and looked at the end of her bed. A simple dark blue dress was there along with some dark blue heels. She lifted it and shuddered in disgust.After a few minutes of struggling, Kelsie managed to get the dress on. She took note about how low cut the dress was and rolled her eyes. She slipped on the heels and made her was into the main part of the shop. Together Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett made their way to the tailor's. After getting her measurements the tailor told them the dresses would be ready to pick up at the end of the day. The two made their way back to the pie shop and Kelsie cleaned the shop to make the time pass by while Mrs. Lovett made her horrible pies.

William soon came to visit and laughed when he saw Kelsie. "Shut up!" she exclaimed, thumping him lightly on the head, "Get used to it! Only get used to it seeing the dress being a little less revealing!"

"I don't know, I kind of like seeing you dressed in something this revealing," William replied, his gaze lowering to Kelsie's chest.

A blush flared up quickly on Kelsie's cheeks as she covered her breasts and tried to whack her best friend again. William caught her hand and looked into her eyes. Kelsie stifled a gasp when she saw the longing and love in his eyes. She swiftly pulled back her hand and turned her head to avoid his gaze.

William left soon after their little encounter, leaving Kelsie muttering little curses about him. "Ya know Kelsie, I think dear William fancies you," Mrs. Lovett said, a sly smirk on her face.

Another blush flared up on Kelsie's cheeks and she quickly bowed her head. "No he doesn't! He's my best friend; that's all," she muttered, wiping down the table she was at with a wet rag.

"It seems to me that he wants to be more than just your best friend," Mrs. Lovett said, her grin turning very Cheshire Cat-like.

"Well, would you look at the time?! It's time to go get my dresses! I'll just go get them myself. I know the way and you already paid for them. Bye!" Kelsie said, rushing out of the shop as fast as she could.

Once away from the shop she sighed in relief. She made it to the tailor's safely and collected her new wardrobe. When she returned to the shop she dropped her dresses off in her room before coming down for dinner. Mrs. Lovett asked her to take Mr. Todd his food and Kelsie happily obliged so she wouldn't have to face more of Mrs. Lovett's teasing.

She walked up the wooden stairs and knocked softly on the door. She got no response, but she could see the barber brooding by the window. With a sigh, she opened the door and sat the tray done on the little table by his razor box. "Brought you dinner," she said before turning to go out.

She got no response, but she didn't mind; she was used to his silence and brooding. Kelsie made her way back down to the pie shop and had dinner with Mrs. Lovett. "I'm tellin' ya, 'e loves ya!" Mrs. Lovett stated as Kelsie made her way to bed.

"He does not!" Kelsie shot back, "We're only friends!"

Kelsie shut her door and stomped on over to her bed. She threw off her dress and put on some sweat pants and a tank top. _'She's wrong,'_ she thought, flipping over on her side and pulling the covers over her head, _'Will's my best friend; nothing more. Right?'_

Just as she was about to drift off into a peaceful sleep, Mr. Todd started pacing. _'NOOO! NOT AGAIN!'_ she thought in despair, pulling her pillow over her head, 'Why, why do you choose now to pace? Why don't you switch your brooding and pacing times? At least then I could get a little sleep!'

Eventually, she did fall asleep, but her dreams were plagued with images of her and her best friend lip locked and sailing the seas together. _'Maybe I'm in love with him too?'_


	7. Dancing In The Barber's Shop

DISCLAIMER: Y'all should know by now that I don't own for Sweeney Todd. I never have and I never will. goes into emo corner to sulk

A/N: Yay! Chapter 7 is here! P.S. The dress that Kelsie wears in this chapter is like the striped dress that Mrs. Lovett wears in her 'By the Sea' fantasy when she's walking down the bridge with Mr. Todd. Only Kelsie's dress is black and red instead of white and red.

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Chapter 7: Dancing In the Barber's Shop

_Kelsie was kneeling by a bed where an old man laid connected to an IV and heart monitor. The old man grasped her hand with his withered and age spotted one. With his other hand he pulled something out from behind his pillow. Kelsie gasped when she saw it was her spell book and her necklace. "I took this from your mother's room before I couldn't get out of bed," the old man said, handing her the two items, "I knew if I gave it to you sooner you wouldn't go back because of me, but soon you'll have nothing holding you back. When I go I want you to go back to where you went before. I know it's there that you'll be truly happy."_

_"You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here," Kelsie said defiantly._

_The old man let out a sad chuckle. "You can't keep denying it Kelsie; I'm dying. I doubt I'll make it past dinner tonight. I'm old and I have so many health problems there's no way that I'll last much longer. I've accepted that I'm going to die; why can't you?"_

_"Stop it! Stop saying stuff like that! You're not going to die! You can't!" Kelsie argued, tears starting to fall, "You're going to get better!"_

_"I'm not getting any better. If anything I'm getting worse."_

_"No! You can't die!"_

_"Everyone has to die someday. Today just happens to be my day to die."_

_Kelsie stood in an angry fury and stormed out of the room. She went into her room and slammed the door behind her. She threw the necklace and book into her nightstand and collapsed on her bed for an hour. Guilt soon entered her because she had left her dying grandpa lying there with no one to tend to him. She made her way back to his room and slowly opened the door. She found her family all gathered around his bed with sad faces. They all turned to look at her with tear streaked faces. Immediately, she rushed forward, pushing family members out of her way to kneel by the bed. She could hear the heart monitor in the background taking longer pauses between beeps. "G-gramps," she croaked, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I'm sorry."_

_The old man grasped her hand and gave her a weak smile. "Remember what I said," he whispered._

_Kelsie nodded her head. The old man shut his eyes and his breathing became slower along with the beeps on the heart monitor. Soon his grip loosened and his hand slipped from her grasp, his chest stopped rising and falling with labored breaths, and the heart monitor let out a long beep. "No," Kelsie whimpered, "NO! GRAMPS COME BACK! COME BACK YOU CAN'T GO!"_

_She felt someone pulling her away and she struggled. "No, no, NO!" she screamed, thrashing about while clutching tightly to the bed sheets, "GRAMPS WAKE UP!"_

_"Kelsie stop! He's gone!" her mother cried, trying to pull her grieving daughter away from the bed._

* * *

"NO!"

Kelsie shot up from her bed breathing hard. Tears and cold sweat combined and ran down her pale face. 'Why?' she thought, pulling her legs to her chest, 'Why did you have to go?'

The door banged open to reveal a worried Mrs. Lovett. She instantly was at Kelsie's side, pulling the girl close to her. "Shh, luv, it was only a dream," she whispered, rocking the sobbing girl back and forth.

"I m-miss him s-so much!" Kelsie sobbed, clinging tightly to Mrs. Lovett.

Eventually, Kelsie had sobbed herself to sleep and Mrs. Lovett laid her down. A whimper escaped her when Mrs. Lovett rose to go. Mrs. Lovett looked down and saw the tears still leaking through Kelsie's lashes even when she was asleep. She laid down beside the girl and wiped away the tears. "I'll never leave you," Mrs. Lovett said, pulling her in a motherly embrace, "I promise."

When Kelsie awoke the next morning she found herself snuggled up by Mrs. Lovett. It took her a minute, but she soon remembered Mrs. Lovett coming in after she cried out during the night. _'She must have been worried about me,'_ she thought with a sigh, _'I'm such a burden.'_

Kelsie rose carefully and quietly from her bed so she wouldn't wake Mrs. Lovett. She looked out her window to the dark, depressing world that was London. A blue jay landed on her windowsill, making quite the contrast in color to the dark tones of London. Kelsie smiled and began to hum a tune her grandfather used to sing to her.

* * *

"_Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay  
my, oh my, what a beautiful day.  
Plenty of sunshine heading my way.  
Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay_

Mister bluebird on my shoulder  
It's the truth, it's actual.  
Everything is satisfactual.

Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay  
Wonderful feelin'.  
Wonderful day."

_"Again Gramps! Again!" a five-year-old Kelsie squealed happily._

_Her grandpa chuckled and started to sing the tune again. Kelsie laughed as he pushed her higher and higher on the swing._

* * *

Tears were soon falling from Kelsie's eyes again, but she quickly wiped them away. _'Those were your happier times with him,'_ she scolded herself, _'Stop crying over them! Smile because of them!'_

She opened the window and the blue jay jumped a little. "Sorry," she said softly, holding out her hand, "Come on; don't be shy."

The bird looked warily at her before hopping into her hand. She stroked its feathered head while whistling the tune her grandfather used to sing to her. Mrs. Lovett groaned slightly and rolled over making the bed creak causing the bird to get spooked and fly out of Kelsie's hand. "Bye!" she called after it, giving a slight wave.

"Who are you talking to Kelsie?" Mrs. Lovett groaned, sitting up.

"A bird that landed outside my window," Kelsie replied.

Mrs. Lovett gave her a look that said 'you're crazy aren't you?' "I'm not crazy I swear!" Kelsie defended, holding up her hands.

"Sure luv; keep tellin' yourself that," Mrs. Lovett replied, getting out of the bed, "Now how 'bout a spot of breakfast, eh?"

On cue, Kelsie's stomach grumbled loudly. Both laughed and Mrs. Lovett left Kelsie to get dressed. After pulling on her black and red striped dress, clipping on her necklace, grabbing her spell book, and pulling her hair into a messy bun, she went down stairs for breakfast. "Luv, can you take this up to Mr. T? Make sure he eats it this time, and could you also remind him we're going to the market today?" Mrs. Lovett asked, handing Kelsie a tray.

"Sure," Kelsie said, "I can't make any promises about him eating though."

Kelsie climbed the steps up to the barber's shop and peered through the door's windows. She saw him at his usual spot, by the window cleaning one of his razors nonstop. Not even bothering to knock because she knew he wouldn't answer, she stepped into the dark and gloomy shop. "I brought you breakfast," she stated, "Please eat it this time or Mrs. Lovett will have both our heads. Oh, and she said to remind you that we're going to the market today."

She got no response and the small smile she had on her face slipped away. "Please eat? Mrs. Lovett will just send me up to bug you more or come up herself," she said, sitting down on the trunk by the door.

Kelsie pulled out her spell book and began flipping through the pages. Taking French for the past four years allowed her to be able to decipher what most of the pages actually said. Bunches of potential spells laid before her and she couldn't wait to try most of them out in the bake house. Soon looking at her spell book began to bore her and she looked up to see what the brooding barber was doing. He still was standing there, gazing out the window and cleaning his razor. Kelsie rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. The awkward silence was killing her!

So she stood up, slipped her shoes off, and began to do the only thing to keep her occupied while she waited; she started to dance. Though she was no ballerina, color guard had forced her to pick up on some ballet techniques. She spun, jumped, and leapt around the room making up a routine as she went along. She became so absorbed in dancing she didn't notice the barber turn to watch her. She paused and gasped when she saw that the barber was watching her. 'Well, if this isn't embarrassing then I don't know what is,' she thought, bowing her head while a familiar blush flared up on her cheeks.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. I tend to dance when I get bored," she explained, looking up at him still blushing.

The barber said nothing, but continued to stare at her. Kelsie turned her head to avoid his hard, cold gaze. Her gaze happened to land on the razors. "They're beautiful," she breathed, taking a step towards the box.

She reached out to pick one up, but cried out in pain before she could reach one. Sweeney had her wrist in a tight, vice-like grip. "Don't touch them!" he growled, squeezing her wrist a little tighter.

Kelsie whimpered in pain and tried to reclaim her wrist. "Let go!"

Her necklace flashed and Sweeney was shoved away from her by an invisible force. Kelsie cradled her aching wrist and looked at it; she could see the bruises already forming. With one last terrified glance she ran from the shop and back down to Mrs. Lovett's. Before entering the shop she composed herself. "Did he eat?" Mrs. Lovett asked.

"No, but he said he would be down in a few minutes," Kelsie replied, hiding her bruised wrist.

As if he read her mind Mr. Todd came down the stairs and came into the shop. Kelsie shrunk behind Mrs. Lovett, not wanting to be seen by him. "Ready to go luv?" Mrs. Lovett asked him.

"Let's go," he said gruffly.

Mrs. Lovett led the two through the streets out to the market place. Kelsie smiled when she saw the boys running around playing tag. "Reminds you of the old days, don' it?" Mrs. Lovett asked her.

"Sure does. This is were I first met William and the rest of the boys. William and I got in that huge fight in the middle of the street, remember?"

"How could I forget? I had to pull you off of 'im 'fore you beat him to a bloody pulp!"

Both women laughed at the memory while Sweeney walked on. They were in the middle of the crowded market place and Kelsie skipped off to look at some of the stuff on sale. She met back up with Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney at a caravan where a kid was pounding on a drum.

"_Ladies and gentlemen!  
May I have your attention, perlese!  
Do you wake every morning in shame and despair,  
to discover your pillow is covered with hair,  
or what not should be there?_

Well, ladies and gentlemen,  
From now on you can waken at ease!  
You need never again have a worry or care,  
I will show you a miracle, marvelous, rare.  
Gentleman, you are about to see something  
that rose from the dead!  
On the top of my head!"

The crowd laughed and Kelsie stood on her tip-toes to see what was going on. "God damn it! Why am I so short!" she growled, jumping up to see over the crowds heads.

She let out a squeak of surprise when someone grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off the ground to see above the crowd. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw it was Sweeney who had lifted her up to see. "T-thanks," she said.

She let out a laugh when she saw the boy on the stage had hair longer than a boy should. He was holding a bottle of a yellow mixture of some sorts.

"_T'was Pirelli's  
Miracle Elixir,  
That's what did the trick, sir,  
True, sir, true.  
Was it quick sir?  
Did it in a tick, sir,  
Just like an elixir  
Ought to do!_

how about a bottle mister?  
only costs a penny guaranteed.

Does Pirelli's  
Stimulate the growth, sir?  
You can have my oath, sir,  
'Tis unique.

Rub a minute  
Stimulatin', (i'n' it?)  
Soon you'll have to thin it  
Once a week!"

Bottles of the stuff were being passed around and Sweeney let Kelsie down. He turned to Mrs. Lovett and asked her, _"Pardon me ma'm what's that awful stench?"  
_

"_Are we standing near an open drench?" _Mrs. Lovett replied.

"_Pardon me sir what's that awful stench?" _Kelsie asked Sweeney, wanting in on this game.

_"Are we standing near an open drench?" _he and Mrs. Lovett asked her.

"_Buy Pirelli's  
Miracle Elixir  
anything will slick, sir, soon sprouts curls_

Try Pirelli's  
when they see a fixir  
you can have your pick, sir,  
of the girls!

Wanna buy a bottle misses?"

Sweeney finally got a hold of one of the bottles. _"What is this?"_

_"What is this?"_

Sweeney opened the bottle and smelled its contents. _"Smells like piss," _he declared, giving the bottle to Mrs. Lovett.

Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett both smelled the "elixir." _"Smells like, ew!" _they both exclaimed at the same time.

_"What is this? This is piss. piss with ink," _Sweeney stated.

_"I wouldn't touch it if I was you, dear," _Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett warned the man by them.

_"Let Pirelli's activate your roots, sir!" _the boy exclaimed, trying to draw back the crowd.

_"Keep it off your boots, sir, eats right through!" _Sweeney advised the man by him.

_"You're scared Pirelli's is usable and of it,  
ladies seem to love it!"_

_"Flies do too!" _Mrs. Lovett and Kelsie shot back.

Suddenly, a flamboyantly dressed man with a top hat threw open the curtain and stepped out onto the stage. The little boy began to cower in fear of the man.

"_I am Adolfo Pirelli,  
Da king of da barbers,  
Da barber of kings,  
E buon giorno,good day,  
I blow you a kiss!  
And I, da so-famous Pirelli,  
I wish-a to know-a  
Who has-a da nerve-a to say  
My elixir is piss!  
Who says this?!" _

The man looked menacingly out into the crowd, looking for the people who called his elixir piss. Kelsie looked down guiltily and was shocked when Sweeney spoke up, "I do. I am Mr. Sweeney Todd of Fleet Street. I have opened a bottle of Pirelli's elixir, and I say to you that it is nothing but an errant fraud, concocted from piss and ink," he said, making his way to the stage, "And furthermore —"Signor "—I have serviced no kings, yet I wager I can shave a cheek with ten times more dexterity than any street mountebank!You see these Razors? I lay them against five pounds you are no match for me. You hear me, sir? Either accept my challenge or reveal yourself as a sham."

The man, Pirelli, inspected the razor and then began to laugh. "You hear zis foolish man? Watch and see how he will regret his folly!

"Friends, who's up for a free shave?" Sweeney asked the crowd.

Many men eagerly raced up, but only two were chosen. "Will Beadle Bamford be the judge?" Sweeney asked with a sickly, sweet voice that just screamed evil to Kelsie.

Obviously, the fat, rat-like man who replied didn't have alarms going off in his head like Kelsie did. "Glad, as always, to oblige my friends and neighbors."

The man waddled up to the stage and took out a whistle. "Ready?" he asked the two men.

"Ready!" Pirelli said smugly.

"Ready," Sweeney grunted.

"The fastest, smoothest shave is the winner!" Beadle announced before daintily blowing his whistle.

"Oh, come on! I can blow a whistle better than that!" Kelsie muttered.

The contest went by slowly. Pirelli saw no threat in Sweeney and took his time because all Sweeney seemed to be doing the whole time was sharpening his razor. Pirelli was so confident in himself he sang to the crowd and even took the time to hold out a long note; that was his mistake. In just seven quick strokes Sweeney shaved his man and called for the Beadle to inspect the man. "The winner is Todd!" the Beadle announced.

The crowd applauded while Pirelli approached Sweeney. Pirelli bowed and said, "Sir, I bow to a skill defter than my own."

Sweeney looked unfazed by the comment. "The five pounds," he said coldly, holding out his hand.

Pirelli hands him a five pound note. "Here, sir. And may the good lord smile on you," he said before bowing his head with a little smirk, "Until we meet again."

He then turned the boy. "Come boy!" he beckons.

The boy walks over and Kelsie watched in horror as Pirelli slapped the boy across the face and kicked him behind the curtain. "Come on dear, there's nothing we can do for him," Mrs. Lovett said, pulling the horrified Kelsie away from the stage.

A man with some stubble suddenly appeared before Sweeney. "Mr. Todd, sir, do you have an establishment of your own?" he asked him eagerly.

"He certainly does. Sweeney Todd's Tonsorial Parlor- above my meat pie emporium in Fleet Street," Mrs. Lovett answered for him.

Sweeney ignored the man and headed straight for the Beadle. "I thank you for your honest adjudication, sir. You are a paragon of integrity," Sweeney said, trying to be as flattering as possible.

The warning bells started going off in Kelsie's head again. Something just wasn't right the way Sweeney acted around this man; it was like he was planning a painful death for the Beadle. Kelsie immediately shook those thoughts out of her head. Of course the man was bitter of the lose of his wife, but would he really kill a man? _'Then again,'_ she thought, looking down at her bruised wrist, _'He does have a temper.'_

"Well, I try to do my best for my friends and neighbors…. Your establishment is in Fleet Street you say?" the Beadle replied to Todd.

"Yes, sir."

"Then, Mr. Todd, you will surely see me there before the week is out."

"You will be welcome, Beadle Bamford, and I guarantee to give you, without a penny's charge, the _closest_ shave you will _**ever**_ know."

The sirens were now going off with the bells in Kelsie's head. _'What is he planning?'_ she thought suspiciously. _  
_


	8. Disarm You With A Smile

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sweeney Todd! I also don't own the song used in this chapter. Take your lawsuits and shove it!

A/N: I'm so sorry YANIsweetness7! I meant to reply, but I completely spaced! To answer your question, I was thinking of a little love triangle between Sweeney, Kelsie, and William with a little one-sided LovettXSweeney. I'm not quite sure yet though.

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Chapter 8: Disarm You With a Smile

The next day Mrs. Lovett decided that the barber's shop upstairs needed a good cleaning. "No one will want to come for a shave if your shop is filthy!" Mrs. Lovett explained, grabbing a bucket to fill with water.

"Do what you want," Mr. Todd replied, sounding like he really didn't care.

"Come on Kelsie; I'm going to need your help with this," Mrs. Lovett said.

"'Kay, let me change first. I'll meet you up there," Kelsie said, going to her room.

After changing into something she could move better in, Kelsie went upstairs to help Mrs. Lovett. "No!" Mrs. Lovett gasped when she saw her, "Get downstairs and change into something else! What if someone sees you?!"

"What?" Kelsie asked, looking down at her tank top and shorts, "If you want me to help you I'm going to need to move well. I can't move as well in a dress as I can in this! Besides, I don't think Mr. Todd will get any costumers today, and I know you won't be getting any."

To prove that she could move better, Kelsie slid down into the splits; another thing she had picked up from being in color guard. Mrs. Lovett sighed in defeat and handed Kelsie a rag. Kelsie smiled happily and began to clean the dusty shop; making sure to avoid the table with the box of razors on them. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of that morning. Mr. Todd didn't even lift a finger to help them, making Kelsie slightly angry, but out of fear she didn't say anything about it. "I'd kill for some music right now," Kelsie muttered, scrubbing a very stubborn smudge from the vanity mirror, "It's too quiet!"

"Sing then," Mrs. Lovett replied, carefully wiping smudges from the broken mirror in the corner of the room, "You used to sing all the time when we made pies."

"Yeah, but that was when I was young and thought I could sing," Kelsie replied with a little laugh.

"You can sing Kelsie. You 'ave a very lovely voice if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Hey, I got an idea! I don't know why I didn't think of it before I came up here!"

Kelsie merrily ran down the stairs and came back a few minutes later with her spell book. She rapidly flipped through the pages looking for a spell she had come across the day before when she was waiting for Mr. Todd to eat his breakfast. "There!" she said, pointing to a page, "Musique du Coeur, music from the heart. Cette période jouera la musique que le castor de période sait et aime, this spell will play music that the spell castor knows and loves. It's perfect! But do you mind? It'll be music from time."

"I don't mind. Mr. T would you mind if played a little music?" Mrs. Lovett replied.

A grunt of approval came from Mr. Todd. Kelsie smiled happily and read over the spell. She placed a hand on her heart, closed her eyes, and said, "Libérez la musique de mon coeur!"

Kelsie opened her eyes and they briefly turned the purple of her necklace. Mrs. Lovett, and even Mr. Todd, jumped at the sound of a guitar filled the air making Kelsie laugh. Kelsie recognized the song instantly; 'Disarm' by The Smashing Pumpkins.

"_Disarm you with a smile  
And cut you like you want me to  
Cut that little child  
Inside of me and such a part of you  
Ooh, the years burn!"_

Kelsie went back cleaning with a content smile on her face. She fought the urge to sing along because she didn't feel like making a fool of herself in front of Mr. Todd again.

"_I used to be a little boy  
So old in my shoes  
And what I choose is my choice  
What's a boy supposed to do?  
The killer in me is the killer in you  
My love,  
I send this smile over to you."_

As chorus played Kelsie found herself humming along. Soon she was singing the second verse:

"_Disarm you with a smile  
And leave you like they left me here  
To wither in denial  
The bitterness of one who's left alone  
Ooh, the years burn  
Ooh, the years burn, burn, burn!"_

By now Kelsie had stopped cleaning and was staring out the large window that Mr. Todd usually stood and looked out.

"_I used to be a little boy  
So old in my shoes  
And what I choose is my voice  
What's a boy supposed to do?  
The killer in me is the killer in you  
My love,  
I send this smile over to you."_

Kelsie turned to Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Todd with a smile on her face.

_"The killer in me is the killer in you  
Send this smile over to you  
The killer in me is the killer in you  
Send this smile over to you  
The killer in me is the killer in you  
Send this smile over to you."_

"See?!" Mrs. Lovett cried when the song ended, "You 'ave a lovely voice! Don' she Mr. T?"

Mr. Todd said nothing and continued to clean one of his razors. '_My god, they're clean enough!'_ Kelsie thought, _'Why don't you clean something that really needs cleaned like this floor?!'_

Mrs. Lovett sighed and made up for Mr. Todd's lack of opinion by showering Kelsie with more compliments. More songs played while they cleaned up the shop and Kelsie, by the request of Mrs. Lovett, sang along to them. Once the shop was sparkling clean Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett stood back their handywork. The shop indeed looked cleaner, but it was still depressing and gloomy looking. After the song she had been listening to finished up Kelsie placed her hand back on her heart and said, "Laissez le retour de musique à mon coeur."

Her eyes turned purple again, but quickly faded back to their original dark brown color. Mrs. Lovett and she went back down stairs to clean up and start dinner. Kelsie was also forced to go put a dress back on. After eating, Mrs. Lovett gave Kelsie some money to run down to the sweets shop and buy some toffees. "Sweet tooth aching?" Kelsie joked as she walked out the door.

Down at the candy store she bought a bag of toffees for Mrs. Lovett and a small bag of caramels for herself. After paying the nice old man, who remembered her from the old days, for the sweets, Kelsie started to head back home. She was near the shop when a hand shot out from an alley and grabbed her. A yelp escaped her and she dropped the bag of candies as she was dragged into the alley. "Look wots we got here," her captor said, his drunken breath entering her nose, "A little girl 'oo's lost 'er way."

Kelsie was shaking with fear. Her magic wasn't going to help her like it did when Mr. Todd had grabbed her; she had left her necklace in her room when she changed. "I'll 'elp you find your way 'ome; for a price."

She could feel one of his hands running up her leg under her skirts. She let out a whimper of fear and closed her eyes tight. Suddenly, the drunken man was ripped off of her. Keeping her eyes closed, she sank to the cold ground trying to calm herself. She heard the man cry out in pain, and then a strange, gurgling and choking sound. Something warm hit her cheek and she her someone fall to the ground. Only then did she dare to open her eyes. Hovering above her was Mr. Todd and in his hand his razor glinted in the moonlight.

She wiped the stuff off her cheek and could tell, from the light of the moon, that it was blood. She gasped in shock and her eyes flew back to Mr. Todd. Kelsie could now see the blood on his sleeve and the blood dripping from his razor. She looked past him and saw the body of her attacker with blood spilling from the slice in his neck, creating a dark pool beneath him. Mr. Todd shut his razor and put it back in its holster before roughly pulling Kelsie to her feet.

Kelsie wrenched away from him as if his very touch burned her skin and backed back into the alley wall. "Don' be so ungratful _girl_!" he snarled at her, his anger apperent, "I jus' saved yer innocence and possibly yer life! Be glad I even came lookin' for you!"

Kelsie dropped her head in shame. It was true, he did save her and she was being ungrateful; even if he murdered the man. _'The man would have only done it to more women if Mr. Todd hadn't killed him. Mr. Todd just did London a favor,'_ she tried reasoning with herself as Mr. Todd lead her back to Mrs. Lovett's.

They reached the threshold of the shop and Mr. Todd turned to return to his own shop. "Wait!" she called out to him.

Mr. Todd paused, but he didn't turn around. "Thank you," Kelsie said, "If you hadn't come for me, who know what would've happened to me. I'm sorry for being so ungrateful too."

Mr. Todd just continued his way up to his shop, but Kelsie could have sworn she heard one of the things that she didn't think would ever come out of the man's mouth. "You're welcome."

* * *

A/N: Aw, Sweeney saved Kelsie's life! Did the situation she was in remind him of his dearly departed wife, Lucy? Or was there something else that drove him to save her? Stay tuned to find out!


	9. In The Pouring Rain

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sweeney Todd. I do own Kelsie Douglas and William Douglas.

A/N: OMG! I'm so sorry for not updating! My computer got a virus and then my monitor got screwed up! It took FOREVER to get it working properly. Plus guard has started back up so it's practice, practice, practice for me. Not to the big family drama on top of everything.

Chapter 9: In the Pouring Rain

Kelsie awoke to the sound of the birds chirping happily outside her window. Since the blue bird had visited her, a bowl of bird seed was always outside her window. She opened her window and the birds quickly dispersed. She breathed in some fresh air and stared longingly outside. Ever since she had almost been raped Mrs. Lovett had her confined to the pie shop. (Mr. Todd had told Mrs. Lovett of the incident, excluding the murder of course.) She wasn't even allowed to go up to Mr. Todd's shop alone! (Not that she would want to anyways.) With a sigh of annoyance at Mrs. Lovett's over protectiveness, Kelsie shut the window and went to get dressed. After trying to hide as much cleavage as she could, she headed down for breakfast. "Will?" she gasped when she entered the front of the shop.

"Hello, Kelsie. I was wondering if you would like to go on a walk with me this afternoon?" William asked somewhat nervously, avoiding her eyes.

Kelsie blinked in surprise; he was being extremely polite. "She would love to go!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed.

Kelsie whipped her head to look at Mrs. Lovett. "I would?" she asked, "I-I mean, I would! I would love to go on a walk with you Will!"

"Wonderful! I'll be here at noon then!"

William left and Kelsie turned to question Mrs. Lovett. "I thought I wasn't allowed out of the shop?"

"Well, I suppose going out during the day can't get ya into too much trouble, and you're also going to be with a strong, young man who would protect you. Besides, I'm sick of you moping about the shop and complaining."

Kelsie just shook her head and ladled a bowl of porridge for herself with a smile on her face. That afternoon she walked out of the pie shop with William. It was a bright, warm day; prefect for a walk! "Kelsie, I want to apologize for the other day," William said nervously.

"What, for the dress thing? Will, I'm over that! Actually, I was over it the next morning! Is that why you haven't been coming over?"

"I thought you would be mad. I remember you got mad at Daniel for laughing at you about something and you refused to play or talk to him for three days!"

"But that was Daniel! He wasn't one of my best friends! I can't stay mad at you for more than a day; it just doesn't feel right!"

They continued their walk in silence. They were walking through the marketplace when William suddenly stopped at a booth with flowers. "What are you up to Will?" Kelsie asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Close your eyes," William replied.

Kelsie obeyed and shut her eyes. Only on William's command did she open them. A beautiful red rose was in front of her. "It's beautiful! Will, you don't need to buy me things!"

"But I want to."

William placed the thornless rose behind Kelsie's ear before taking her hand so they could continue their walk. They went to the park and sat on one of the benches; many couples, young and old alike, walked by them holding hands. William and Kelsie chatted about anything and everything that came to their minds. They were discussing a spell that Kelsie was trying perfect when a dark cloud passed over them and thunder rumbled. "We'd better head back to the shop," Kelsie said, feeling a raindrop hit her nose.

"Yes, I believe you're right. Shall we?"

They stood and began to quickly walk back to the pie shop. But walking quickly wasn't good enough, and soon the rain was coming down hard on them. "Finally!" Kelsie shouted over the rain, "Thanks for taking me out today Will! We should do it again sometime! Let's hope we can stay out longer next time though!"

Kelsie started jogging towards the shop but stopped when she heard William calling after her. She turned to face him with an eyebrow raised. William swiftly walked up to her and locked his gaze with hers. Kelsie's eyes widened and her body tensed when William leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Slowly, she began to relax and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring their soaking, wet bodies closer.

Although she had been kissed in the past on a few occasions, nothing was as mind-blowing as William's kiss. Slowly, they parted, each panting slightly. William ran his fingers through her wet hair and held her close. "You'd better get inside before you catch death," he told her after stealing a quick kiss.

"Y-yeah, you too," Kelsie replied, breathlessly.

After sharing another kiss, Kelsie ran into the shop. Once she was inside, a goofy grin broke out on her face. She slid against the door down to the floor and stayed their grinning like a fool. "Luv, is there something wrong?" Mrs. Lovett asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No," Kelsie replied with a giggle, "Everything's just perfect."

"Luv, are you sure you're all right?" Mrs. Lovett asked, walking over and checking Kelsie's temperature with her hand.

"Mmmmmhmmmm! I'm fine; just fine!"

Mrs. Lovett looked closely at Kelsie's goofy grin and glazed over eyes and it suddenly clicked. "Kelsie did something happen between you and William?" she asked slyly.

Kelsie's grin grew bigger and a blush started to color her cheeks. Mrs. Lovett's Cheshire cat grin broke out on her own face. "I told you!" she cried childishly, "I knew it! I knew he loved you all along! And you love him too!"


	10. My Bloody Reverie

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sweeney Todd. I do own Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins.

A/N: To **Eliza Spootkitten**- Yeah, I know Mrs. Lovett would never really act like that I just wanted to portray a different side of her. She acts different around Kelsie than she does anyone else because Kelsie is like the daughter she never had.

* * *

Chapter 10: My Bloody Reverie

"_Baby you're all that I want  
when you're lying here in my arms  
I'm finding it hard to believe,  
we're in Heaven..."_

Techno music started up and Kelsie danced around her room to it. She threw off her nightgown and put on a dress. She walked over to her mirror and took the brush she had been previously been using as a microphone to brush her curly locks.

" _Oh thinking about our younger years  
There was only you and me  
We were young and wild and free  
Now, nothing can take you away from me  
We've been down that road before  
But that's over now,  
You keep me coming back for more..."_

Kelsie danced her way downstairs into the pie shop where Mrs. Lovett was making breakfast.

"_Baby you're all that I want  
when you're lying here in my arms  
I'm finding it hard to believe,  
we're in Heaven..."_

"Kelsie be a dear and take this up to Mr. T," Mrs. Lovett said.

Kelsie nodded and grabbed the tray, recalling the spell on her way out the door. Humming the song, she climbed the stairs leading to Mr. Todd's shop. Cheerfully, she opened the door not bothering to knock. "Morning Mr. Todd!" she said brightly, "Mrs. Lovett told me to be a dear and bring you some breakfast. Well, here ya are!"

Kelsie turned and headed for the door while softly singing,

"_Now our dreams are coming true  
through the good times and the bad  
I'll be standing there by you..."_

Mr. Todd glared at her retreating form; she was being much too cheery for his taste. How could someone be cheerful in the great, black pit called London? He looked out the window and received his answer; her foolish friend was there. The boy ran a hand lovingly through the girl's hair making her blush. Then the boy gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. A growl escaped Mr. Todd; they reminded him of Benjamin Barker and his beloved Lucy. He watched Kelsie rest her head on the boy's shoulder as they walked away. Mr. Todd glared after them until they had disappeared from Fleet Street completely.

Kelsie returned from another walk with William a couple hours later. When she entered the shop she found Pirelli's servant boy devouring on of Mrs. Lovett's pies. A look of disgust crossed her face as the pie's fillings hit the plate. 'Man, when she said her pies were the worst she meant it! That's disgusting!' she thought.

"Ah, good, you're back!" Mrs. Lovett said cheerfully, "Toby, dear, this is my adopted daughter, Kelsie."

This was the lie that Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett had made up years ago. They told people that Kelsie's parents were very sick and that Mrs. Lovett took her in. When Kelsie went back to her own time Mrs. Lovett would say she went to visit her real family in the hospital. The boy, Toby, looked up from his pie and smiled at Kelsie. 'He's adorable! I just wanna hug him!' Kelsie thought, resisting the urge to grab the boy and squeeze him to death.

"Nice to see a man with a healthy appetite," Mrs. Lovett stated, "Just like me poor Albert; liked to gorge 'imself to bloatation 'e did. 'E didn't 'ave your nice 'ead of 'air though."

"To tell the truth, it gets awful 'ot!" Toby replied, taking off the blonde wig he had been wearing to reveal his real short, brown hair.

Kelsie couldn't help but laugh at that. Mrs. Lovett got Toby another pie before going to roll out more dough. "You're either starving, or you have the strongest stomach known to man," Kelsie said, crinkling her nose in disgust.

Toby just continued to wolf down his pie. Everyone froze when they heard thumping coming from upstairs. Once it stopped, Mrs. Lovett began banging things on her counter. "My, my, my! So much work to be done! Spic and span; that's me motto!" Mrs. Lovett said nervously.

"It is?" Kelsie asked incredulously, gaining herself a glare from the older woman, "What? I just never knew your motto before!"

Toby suddenly jumped up babbling about Pirelli having an appointment with his tailor and that if Pirelli was late he would get blamed. "Wait!" Mrs. Lovett hissed after his retreating form.

"What's going on?" Kelsie asked suspiciously.

"N-nothing! I just don't want him to interrupt whatever Mr. T and Pirelli are talking about!"

"Mmmmmhmmmm. Yeah, sure. You're a really bad liar, you know? I will find out what you're hiding one way or another!"

Mrs. Lovett's face drained all the color it had left when she heard Toby shout. When the boy reappeared two seconds later babbling about how Mr. Todd said that he could have some gin, she looked relieved. "Gin?!" Kelsie growled furiously, watching Mrs. Lovett take Toby to the back to get the gin, "He's way underage!"

Kelsie stormed out of the shop, ready to give Mr. Todd a piece of her mind. Muttering curses in both English and French, she stomped up the stairs. When she banged open the door she was met with a nasty surprise. Her eyes widened in shock and all the color drained from her face as she watched Mr. Todd drag his razor across Pirelli's neck. Blood splattered the floor and even on Mr. Todd himself. Pirelli sputtered and choked on his blood before drawing his final breath. The first time Mr. Todd had killed a man in front of her was to save her life, and he had done it in the darkness of the night so she could barely see anything. Now he was murdering again in front of her; in broad daylight and with malicious intentions. Kelsie could feel the bile rising up her throat.

Mr. Todd lowered the body back into the trunk it had been in before snapping his gaze to Kelsie. Kelsie stood rooted spot, paralyzed with fear, as he stalked towards her. A small cry escaped her as he roughly shoved her into the wall. "You are to tell no one of this!" he growled, placing the razor he had quickly wiped clean to her throat, "You're indebted to me."

It was true; she _was_ indebted to him for saving her life. A razor blade being pressed to your pulse is also a good reason to agree to a killer's terms. "I won't tell anyone! I swear!" Kelsie whimpered, fearing for her life.

Mr. Todd smirked, enjoying the power and control he had. His smirk widened when a nasty idea to make sure she knew he wasn't kidding popped into his head. Kelsie yelped in pain when the blade pierced the skin of her collar bone area. When he pulled the blade away her blood slowly dripped off the end. Eyes still wide with fear, Kelsie sunk to the floor clutching the wound. Mr. Todd turned away from the frightened girl and went to clean his bloody razor.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Lovett came in the shop grumbling about how Toby was drinking up all the gin. "When will Pirelli get back?" she asked, not noticing Kelsie.

"He won't be back," Mr. Todd replied darkly, turning to show Mrs. Lovett his bloody sleeve.

"Mr. T you didn't!" Mrs. Lovett gasped.

Mr. Todd silently pointed his razor to the trunk holding Pirelli's body. Mrs. Lovett opened the trunk before quickly snapped it back shut looking like she was going to be sick. "You're barkin' mad!" she exclaimed, "Killin' a man who done you no harm!"

"Recognized me from the old days," Mr. Todd replied, nonchalantly continuing to clean his razor, "Wanted 'alf me earnings."

"Oh, well that's different then," Mrs. Lovett said, relaxing, "For a moment there I thought you'd lost your marbles!"

_**BAM!**_

Mrs. Lovett whipped around and found an unconscious Kelsie on the floor. "Mr. T wot did you do?" Mrs. Lovett groaned, rushing over to the unconscious girl.

Kelsie woke up ten minutes later on the barber shop's floor with Mrs. Lovett hovering over her pressing a rag onto her shoulder. Seeing the bloody rag made the day's earlier events come back to her. "Ah, good you're awake! I guess the blood loss made you pass out. C'mon luv, we'll get you patched up downstairs."

Kelsie back away from the woman. Mrs. Lovett had an almost hurt expression on her face when she had recoiled away from her. "You're both insane!" Kelsie exclaimed, "He kills a man and you're _okay _with it?!"

"Now dear, Pirelli was trying to blackmail Mr. T! There was nothing else Mr. T could do but shut him up!"

Kelsie just shook her head. "I think…. I think I go home," she muttered, shakily getting to her feet.

"Now Kelsie don't say that!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed, also standing.

Kelsie shook her head again and started walking towards the door fighting back tears that threatened to spill. "Do you really want to go back there? Back to your dead grandfather? Back to your mother who doesn't accept what you really are like I do?" Mrs. Lovett asked, trying to stop her, "….Back to your father?"

Kelsie stopped in her tracks and involuntarily grabbed her arm that had a scar across it. Images of her grandfather lying on his bed dead and her mother ripping her spell book and necklace away from her invaded her head. Her father's voice floated through her ears. Then she heard her grandfather's voice.

"_I know it's there that you'll be truly happy."_

'I used to call this place my reverie; everything was such a dream. I was always happy,' she thought, 'This can still be my reverie; my bloody reverie.'

"I'll stay."


	11. Epiphany

DISCLAIMER: I do no own Sweeney Todd. I do own Kelsie Douglas and William Hopkins.

* * *

Chapter 11: Epiphany

Mrs. Lovett smiled when heard Kelsie say that she would stay with her. She felt bad that Kelsie was now involved with Mr. Todd's problems. Mrs. Lovett had hoped that she could keep everything a secret from her until after the judge and the Beadle were taken care of. But they could still be a family; her 'by the sea' fantasy had yet to become impossible. Mr. Todd walked over to the window and peered out. "The judge!" he gasped, an evil grin forming on his face.

He then seemed to take notice that Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett were still there. "Get out," he growled.

"Get out!" he snapped again when they didn't move.

Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett quickly exited the shop. Kelsie put the rag over her collar bone to hide the cut. They entered the pie shop and Kelsie went to her room to do a healing spell. 'What has him so giddy about a judge coming?' she thought, clasping her necklace around her neck.

"_There was this judge, ya see...  
Wanted her like mad!  
Everyday he sent her a flower  
but did she come down from her tower?  
Sat up there and sulked by the hour  
still she wouldn't budge from her  
Poor fool!  
Ah, but there was worse yet to come  
Poor thing…"_

"_The judge has repented, she thinks.  
Poor thing!  
"Oh where is Judge Turpin?" she asks...  
He was there, alright!  
Only not so contrite!  
She wasn't no match for such craft, ya see.  
And everyone thought it so droll.  
They figured she had to be daft, ya see.  
So all of them stood there and laughed, ya see!  
Poor soul!  
Poor thing!"_

Kelsie gasped and dropped her spell book. 'He's going to kill him!'

Then she began to think about what the judge had done to Mr. Todd and his wife. 'Okay, maybe he does deserve to die,' she thought, trying to reason with herself as she picked up her book, 'Him and his rat-faced accomplice."

She sat down on her bed and flipped through the spell book. When she found the page she placed a hand over her wound. "Guérissez-moi." (Heal me.)

Her eyes briefly flashed purple and the cut underneath her hand began to glow purple and got cool. After a few minutes, she took her hand away and the glowing and cooling effect stopped. The cut was completely healed and the only trace of it ever being there was the scar in the shape of a 'T'. "T for Todd," she muttered, putting her book back in the nightstand drawer, "I've been branded."

Kelsie headed back down to the pie shop where Toby was still drinking gin and Mrs. Lovett was happily making pie crusts. Kelsie grabbed a glass and went to sit at the table Toby was at. "Need. Gin. Now!" she muttered, swiping the bottle away from Toby.

She poured herself a glass and downed it in a gulp. She coughed for a minute before pouring another glass. "Oh, no!" Mrs. Lovett gasped.

"What?" Kelsie asked.

"That boy's gone up to Mr. T's!"

A minute later, Kelsie saw a man, in what appeared to be his fifties, angrily stomping down the stairs leading to Mr. Todd's shop. Thirty seconds after that, she heard the distinct roar of an angry Mr. Todd and saw a guy, much younger the last, fleeing the shop. "Stay here, dear, we're going to pop in on Mr. Todd for a tick!" Mrs. Lovett told Toby, pulling Kelsie to her feet.

Toby nodded and continued to pour himself some more gin. "Oi! Save some of that! I'm most likely going to need a few more shots after this!" Kelsie exclaimed as Mrs. Lovett dragged her out.

The two women rushed up the stairs and into the shop where a furious Mr. Todd stood. "All this shouting and running about wot's happened?" Mrs. Lovett asked, demanding an explanation.

"I had him," Mr. Todd growled, _"His throat was there beneath my hand!"_

"There, there, dear, calm down," Mrs. Lovett said, looking slightly nervous and panicked.

"NO! I HAD HIM!" Mr. Todd shouted, causing Kelsie to flinch and shrink away, _"His throat was there and now he'll never come again!"_

_"Easy now. Hush, luv, hush," _Mrs. Lovett cooed, _"I keep tellin' you-_

"When?" Mr. Todd interrupted.

_"Wot's your rush?" _Mrs. Lovett finished, fear evident on her face.

_"Why did I wait?" _he asked before rounding on Mrs. Lovett, _"YOU told me to WAIT! Now he'll never come again!"_

He stared at Mrs. Lovett for a moment before whipping around to look out his window. _"There's a hole in the world, like a great, black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with SHIT and the vermin of the world who inhabit it!"_

Then he turned to look at the two women with a twisted grin on his face. _"But not for long..."_

Mr. Todd started to pace about the room. _"They all deserve to die! Tell you why, my dear ladies, tell you why. Because in all of the whole human race, my dear ladies, there are two kinds of men and only two! There's the one staying put in his proper place and the one with his foot in the other one's face! Look at __me__, Mrs. Lovett! Look at __you!__"_

Mr. Todd turned from the broken mirror he had been staring into and began to stalk towards Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett. _"No, we all deserve to die!"_

Mrs. Lovett managed to move out of his way, but Kelsie was, once again, paralyzed with fear. Mr. Todd grabbed her and shoved her into the wall. _"Even __you__, Ms. Douglas! Even I!"_

Mr. Todd forced her into his chair and held his razor to her throat. _"Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief! For the rest of us death will be a relief! We all deserve to die!"_

Slowly, Mr. Todd pulled the blade away from Kelsie's neck and went back to gazing out his window suddenly sounding depressed. _"And I'll __never __see Johanna. No, I'll __never __hug my girl to me. _FINISHED!"

It was at that moment Mr. Sweeney Todd lost all contact with reality. Kelsie, still shaking in the chair, and Mrs. Lovett, who was cowering in a corner, could only watch as Mr. Todd threw his tantrum. He ended his tantrum on his knees, looking up, and his two of his razors crossed above his head. Mrs. Lovett came and stood next to the chair looking down at him. "That's all very well, but what are we going to do about him?" she asked him, nodding towards the trunk Pirelli was stuffed in.

Mr. Todd lowered his arms and stared off into space. "Hello?" Mrs. Lovett asked, "Can ya hear me?"

When Mr. Todd didn't respond, Mrs. Lovett sighed irritably. "C'mon," she said, hauling him up, "Great, useless thing! Some help would be nice Kels! He isn't that light ya know!"

Kelsie nervously got up from the chair and slung one of Mr. Todd's arms over her shoulder. They eventually got him downstairs with their combined efforts. When they entered the shop Toby was nowhere to be seen. "Hey! Where's the booze?!" Kelsie exclaimed, "That kid took off with the booze!"


	12. A Little Priest

xXBlackOpalsXx: *dances around a corner in her own little world and bumps into a horde of angry readers* Oh, hehehehehe, hey guys! What's up? ^.^U *dodges many sharp objects* I'M SORRY!!!! Please don't kill me!!!

Will: Can you blame them, Opal? You've been away for how long?

Opal: ………

Will: That's what I thought. How could you deny them their beloved Sweeney Todd? And even worse, how could you deny them me and Kelsie??????

Opal: *sigh* You're right Will. Look guys, I really am sorry. It's been a very crazy year for me and I had a hard enough time balancing school and guard; let alone throwing writing on top of it. But now it's summer break and I promise this story will not get abandoned ever again! :D So, to whatever readers I have left, here's the long awaited chapter 12! Will, could you give the disclaimer?

Will: My pleasure Opal. Ahem, Opal does not own Sweeney Todd (although she wishes she did…) or any song, from the musical or not, does not belong to her unless otherwise noted and requests that she not be sued. Opal would also like to make it known that only Kelsie and I belong to her.

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Chapter 12: A Little Priest

_Previously on My Bloody Reverie:_

_~*~Mr. Todd lowered his arms and stared off into space. "Hello?" Mrs. Lovett asked, "Can ya hear me?"_

_When Mr. Todd didn't respond, Mrs. Lovett sighed irritably. "C'mon," she said, hauling him up, "Great, useless thing! Some help would be nice Kels! He isn't that light ya know!"_

_Kelsie nervously got up from the chair and slung one of Mr. Todd's arms over her shoulder. They eventually got him downstairs with their combined efforts. When they entered the shop Toby was nowhere to be seen. "Hey! Where's the booze?!" Kelsie exclaimed, "That kid took off with the booze!"~*~_

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Mrs. Lovett and Kelsie sat Mr. Todd down at one of the booths. By Mrs. Lovett's request, Kelsie sat down with him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid while she went off to search for Toby and the missing gin. 'I swear if that kid took off!!!' Kelsie seethed, 'I'm the one that needs a drink! Especially, after having a razor at my throat twice today!'

Mrs. Lovett returned from the parlor and explained to Kelsie that she had found the boy passed out on the sofa clutching the gin bottle like a teddy bear. Mrs. Lovett poured out two glasses; one for Mr. Todd and one for Kelsie. "Here you go. Drink it down," she said, handing the two their glasses.

Kelsie gulped her glass down, wincing slightly from the burning sensation as the alcohol went down her throat. Mrs. Lovett took a seat beside Mr. Todd. "Now," she said all business-like, "we got a body molderin' away upstairs, what do you intend we should do about that?"

Kelsie quickly poured herself another glass; she would need to be a little liquored up if she was going to sit through this conversation. "Later on when it's dark, we'll take him to some secret place and bury him," Mr. Todd replied, finally back from his own little world.

Mrs. Lovett stood and walked towards the front window. "Well, yes, of course we could do that. I don't suppose he's got any relatives going to come poking around looking for him…_Seems a downright shame…"_

"Shame?" Mr. Todd asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"_Seems an awful waste…Such a nice plump frame wot's his name has…had…has! Nor it can't be traced. Business needs a lift—debts to be erased—Think of it as a thrift, as a gift… If you catch my drift…"_

She turned to look at the two sitting at the booth and met two blank faces that had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. She sighed and went over to a pot of her "meat" filling. _"Seems an awful waste… I mean, with the price of meat what it is, when you get it, __if__ you get it—"_

Mr. Todd's face brightened and a smirk came to his face. A soft "ah" of realization escaped him. Kelsie's face did not look as ecstatic. Her countenance took a more horror-stricken, disgusted look. She grabbed the bottle, forgetting her glass, and chugged some down. Mrs. Lovett smiled at the both of them, although she did take note of the slight green tint that was creeping up on Kelsie's face._ "Good you got it. Take for instance, Mrs. Mooney and her pie shop. Business never better, using only pussycats and toast, and a pussy's good for maybe six or seven at the most. And I'm sure they can't compare as far as taste!"_

Mr. Todd stood and crossed the room over to Mrs. Lovett. He took her in his arms and they began dancing around the shop.

Mr. T: _"Mrs. Lovett, what a charming notion, eminently practical and yet appropriate as always. Mrs. Lovett how I've lived all these years without you I'll never know! How delectable! Also undetectable! How choice! How rare!"_

Mrs. L: _"Well it does seem a waste… It's an idea… Think about it… Lots of other gentlemen'll soon be coming for a shave, won't they? Think of all them pies!"_

"HOLD IT!"

The two stopped dancing about the shop and looked over to find an enraged Kelsie. "Are you two INSANE?!?! Wait, don't answer that… But do you have any idea what you're planning to do?!? These are human beings we're talking about! That's cannibalism; which, by the way if you didn't already know, is frowned upon in most societies! (A/N: ^.^ It's altered, but you should know where I got that from!) I refuse to be a part of this! This is sick and wrong on so many levels!"

"Now Kelsie," Mrs. Lovett said, coming over to the fuming young adult, "you have to understand that times are hard here. People have to do what they can to survive from being put out on the streets and being forced to eat garbage. I know it may be different in your time, but here once you're on the streets, you're on the streets forever. No one wants to be begging for alms. Besides, think of the good that could come from this! My shop and Mr. Todd's shop will gain popularity (he can't kill all of them or we'd have no costumers and things would become suspicious) and we'll be rich! We could have all we ever wanted! Also, we'd be ridding the world of the evil men out their! Men like Judge Turpin; men like your father."

Mrs. Lovett knew she had struck a nerve when she saw Kelsie slightly flinch when she mentioned her father. Both their gazes dropped down to the jagged scar on her upper right arm and silently reminisced on how exactly Kelsie obtained that scar. Kelsie tore her pained gaze away from it and picked up the gin bottle and stared out the window. Her gaze hardened into a fierce glare as her reflection in the glass morphed into the face of her father. _"Yes, we all deserve to die. Even you Daddy-dearest; even I…"_

Mr. Todd watched the girl swallow some of the gin straight from the bottle again. He didn't think such a bitter voice could come from her. He was, dare he admit it, almost curious as to what made her so bitter towards her father, and how exactly she obtained that scar. Mrs. Lovett face broke into a grin and gave Kelsie's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That's the spirit luv! Now then, _think about it, lots of other gentlemen'll soon be coming for a shave, won't they? Think of all them pies!"_

All three went rushed over to the front window and pulled back the curtain, looking out onto the street at their potential pies.

Mr. T:_ "For what's the sound of the world out there?"_

Mrs. L & Kelsie_: "What Mr. Todd? What Mr. Todd? What is that sound?"_

Mr. T: _"Those crunching noises pervading the air?"_

Mrs. L & Kelsie: _"Yes, Mr. Todd! Yes, Mr. Todd! Yes, all around!"_

Mr. T: _"It's man devouring man, my dears,"_

All: _"And who are we to deny it in here?"_

Mrs. Lovett went off to her pie making counter and Mr. Todd and Kelsie, still clutching to the gin bottle, watched her go. Kelsie tensed slightly when she felt Mr. Todd's hand at the small of her back. "These are desperate times, Ms. Douglas, and desperate measures are called for," he explained as he guided her towards Mrs. Lovett.

"Here we are, hot out of the oven!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed cheerfully, placing a pie down in front of them.

"What is that?" Mr. Todd asked, slightly backing away.

Mrs. L: _"It's priest. Have a little priest."_

Mr. T: _"Is it any good?"_

They all walked over and peered out another window of the shop at the priest standing outside.

Mrs. L: _"Sir, it's too good, at least. Then again, they don't commit sins of the flesh, so it's pretty fresh."_

Mr. T: _"Awful lot of fat."_

Mrs. L: _"Only where it sat!"_

Mr. T: "_Haven't you go poet or something like that?"_

Mrs. L: _"No, you see the trouble with poet is, how do you know it's deceased? Try the priest!"_

They all made their way to the other window. Mrs. Lovett spotted a lawyer and gave him an appraising look.

Mrs. L: _"Lawyer's rather nice…"_

Mr. T: _"If it's for a price."_

Mrs. L: "_Order something else, though, to follow, since no one should swallow it twice."_

Mr. T (looking into the throng of people): _"Anything that's lean?"_

Mrs. L (spotting a marine getting off a carriage): _"Well, if you're British and loyal you might enjoy royal marine. Anyway, it's clean. Though o' course it tastes of wherever it's been…"_

Mr. T: _"Is that squire on the fire?"_

Mrs. L: "_Mercy no, sir! Look closer, you'll notice it's grocer!"_

Mr. T: _"Looks thicker! More like vicar!"_

Mrs. L: _"No, it has to be grocer—__**it's green**__!"_

Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett turned and slowly walked away conversing while Kelsie stayed and watched as more people passed by. She watched the people trying to imagine them all being as evil as Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett were trying to make her believe they were. Then she once again began to think about how they would actually be made into pies and served to other people. An image of crowds of people fiendishly devouring the pies popped into her head, and began to make her feel sick to her stomach. With a sigh, she drained the bottle of every last drop of the gin it contained. 'I'd better watch it, or I'm going to become an alcoholic. We wouldn't want that would we, Daddy?' she thought, tipsily making her way in the direction the barber and baker had gone.

(As Kelsie was contemplating what was to come)

Mr. T: _"The history of the world, my love—_

Mrs. L: _"Save a lot of graves. Do a lot of relatives favors…"_

Mr. T: _"—Is those below serving those up above!"_

Mrs. L: _"Everybody shaves, so there should be plenty of flavors…"_

Mr. T: _"How gratifying for once to know—_

Both: _"—that those above will serve those down below!"_

Mrs. Lovett walked away to daydream about more flavors of pie while Mr. Todd stayed looking out the window at his potential victims. He noticed one man--who was making all the women around him giggle and swoon-- that made his normal scowl grow worse. He was so into his own little world that he didn't hear someone approaching. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around his middle and a head was resting against his shoulder. He tensed, looked down, and saw a slightly drunken Kelsie hanging onto him. "What are you looking so mean about? …Well, meaner than you normally look," she said, giggling at her own joke before looking outside, "Ew, now I see why. What is that?"

Mrs. Lovett came to investigate what they were talking about.

Mrs. L: _"It's fop, finest in the shop. _(she walks back over to the counter) _Or we have some Sheppard's pie peppered with actual Sheppard on top!"_

Sweeney and Kelsie made their way over to where Mrs. Lovett stood behind her counter. Mrs. Lovett felt a small jolt of jealously run through her as she watched Mr. Todd just let Kelsie continue to hold him tightly as they walked over to her. She quickly shook the jealously from her, realizing that the tipsy Kelsie was just looking for someone to cling to so she could walk okay. At the same time though, she couldn't help but wonder if Sweeney would allow her to cling to him like Kelsie was if _**she **_was the tipsy one or if he would wrap his arm around her to help support _**her**_ like he was doing with Kelsie. Once they got to the counter, Kelsie relinquished her hold on the older man and opted to hold onto the counter instead. Cracking a slightly forced grin, Mrs. Lovett continued.

Mrs. L: _"And I've just begun! Here's a politician—so oily, it's served with a doily—have one?"_

She handed Mr. Todd a pie dripping with a disgusting, yellow filling that cause Kelsie to crinkle her nose with distaste.

Mr. T: _"Put it on a bun."_

Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett both gave him an odd look.

Mr. T: _"Well, you never know if it's going to run!"_

Mrs. L: _"Try the friar! Fried is dryer!"_

Mr. T: _"No! The clergy is really too coarse and too mealy!"_

By this time, Mr. Todd had picked up a butcher's cleaver, Mrs. Lovett had grabbed her rolling pin, and Kelsie decided it was time she finally joined in.

Kelsie: _"Then actor—it's compacter!"_

Mr. T: _"Yes and always arrives overdone."_

Kelsie couldn't help but laugh at that. She was pretty surprised at Mr. Todd; it was a pretty good joke. She didn't think that he had a funny bone in his body. Apparently, she was proven wrong. She was too busy giggling at the joke Mr. Todd had made that she didn't notice him approaching her. Her laughter was cut short when her back met the wall and the cleaver was suddenly at her throat. Unlike the last time she found Mr. Todd pressing something sharp against her throat, she felt no threatening vibes coming from him. Her mind, still under the influence of the gin she had drank, couldn't help but think of the position they were in a teensy bit erotic from the way she was pinned to the wall with one of his arms by her side, the other (which had caught her attention a lot) resting in between her breasts to hold the cleaver closer to her neck, and then there was the extremely intense way his eyes were looking into hers. She tried to will those thoughts away, but she could feel a small blush beginning to form on her cheeks. "I'll come again when you have **judge** on the menu," he growled.

The blush Kelsie had tried to will away came back tenfold as Mr. Todd pulled her to the middle of the shop and began to waltz with her. Once again, Mrs. Lovett felt jealously rear its ugly head as she watched them dance around her shop with each other in an almost blissful way. The smirk on Mr. Todd's face was the closest thing to a smile she had seen on his face since he came back to London as he stared down at his young, auburn-haired dance partner. Then again, maybe she was just assuming things and he was really smirking at the wonderful, revenge-filled conspiracy that had been hatched.

Mr. T: _"Have charity toward the world, my pets—_

Kelsie: _"Yes, yes, I know, my love—_

Mr. T: _"We'll take the costumers that we can get—_

Mrs. L: _"High born and low, my love—_

Mr. T: "_We'll not discriminate great from small!"_

Mr. Todd stopped the waltz between him and Kelsie and pulled her towards the window. On the way to the front window, Kelsie took Mrs. Lovett's hand so she got dragged with her.

Mr. T: _"No, we'll serve anyone—_

Mrs. L & Kelsie: _"We'll serve anyone—_

All: _"And to anyone one at all!"_

They ended up staring out the window, seemingly invisible to the rest of the world who went about their business, with Kelsie in the middle of the barber and the bake who had their weapons of choice (a cleaver and a rolling pin) crossed above her head like two swords. Together they all made the perfect picture of dysfunctional, and Kelsie felt strangely happy and proud of that fact.

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Opal: Well, there you have it! Once again, I apologize for my long absence. I promise this story will be finished by the end of summer. Even if it kills me! So anyway, what did you think Will?

Will: *grumble/mumble*

Opal: What was that, dear? I couldn't quite hear you.

Will: I wasn't even in it!! I've been gone for so long!

Opal: Aw Will! *hugs* I promise you'll come back!!! The readers have to find out what happens between you and Kelsie!

Kelsie: Yeah, will no worries! You'll be back soon!

Will: *sigh* Fine… I can wait. If I waited six years to see Kelsie again, I can wait a couple chapters!!

Opal: That's the spirit, love! Well, I guess we'll all see you in Chapter 13!

Opal, Will, Kelsie: Bye!


	13. Story Time

Opal: *cracks knuckles* Okay, let's get this bad boy started!

Will: Glad to see you're enthusiastic about this!

Opal: Yep! *smiles*

Will: Am I going to be making an appearance anytime soon?

Opal: Maybe…I can't really give that information out before the chapter even starts!

Will: -____-U I don't, do I?

Opal: I didn't say that! Just give the disclaimer would you? Please?

Will: *sigh* See what I've been reduced to dear readers? Will, the Disclaimer Man… Anyway, Opal doesn't own Sweeney Todd (even though we all know she wishes she did) and doesn't own any song that may come up unless otherwise noted. Please, refrain from suing her. She does, however, own me and Kelsie.

Opal: Thank you Will! ^.^ Oh, and our lovely Mr. Todd may be a little OOC in this chapter…Sorry…

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Previously on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~ Mr. T: __"No, we'll serve anyone—_

_Mrs. L & Kelsie: __"We'll serve anyone—_

_All: __"And to anyone one at all!"_

_They ended up staring out the window, seemingly invisible to the rest of the world who went about their business, with Kelsie in the middle of the barber and the baker who had their weapons of choice (a cleaver and a rolling pin) crossed above her head like two swords. Together they all made the perfect picture of dysfunctional, and Kelsie felt strangely happy and proud of that fact. ~*~_

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Chapter 13: Story Time

Kelsie awoke in the middle of the night to what sounded like a ruckus upstairs. With a groan she flipped onto her stomach and put her pillow over her pounding head. She had apparently slept off the gin and was now having a glorious hangover, and the sounds coming from upstairs in the barber shop were not doing anything to help her splitting headache. She sat up and clambered out of her bed, ignoring her body's pleas for sleep. Muttering curses at Mr. Todd under her breath, she wrenched open her nightstand drawer and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. (A/N: Do not own, but it works wonders!) After giving the bottle a quick kiss, she popped open the top and dumped two pills into her hand. She wrapped a blanket around herself and made her way to the kitchen. Once she got a glass of water and took her pills, she decided to see what Mr. Todd was up to since he was making loud enough noises to wake her from her deep sleep.

Mr. Todd was working hard on perfecting the chair Mrs. Lovett had given him. Cogs, screws, tools, and wood were scattered around him and his project. He was so focused into screwing in a cog to the chair that he didn't hear Kelsie knock on his door. "It's three thirty in the morning, and you're working on a chair? You know some people who live down below you actually like sleep on occasion."

Sweeney nearly jumped at the sound of Kelsie's voice. He turned to glare at the girl clad only in a pair of grey, cotton shorts that had been rolled twice, a black tank top, and an extremely soft-looking, light blue blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders. His glare was matched by a glare of Kelsie's own, though hers lacked the same ferocious intensity; Kelsie's glare was just one of tiredness and annoyance. "What do you want?" he growled.

'Looks like we're back to Mr. Grumpy,' Kelsie thought with a roll of her eyes, 'And he was so pleasant this afternoon too!'

"I just came to see what was causing you to make such a racket," she answered, nonchalantly walking over to see what he was working on, "What exactly are you doing?"

"That is none of your concern," Todd snapped, going back to screwing the cog in place.

Kelsie "hmphed" and plopped down near him and the chair. "Well, since you're obviously not going to be stopping for a while, I'll keep you company! Maybe I can even help you if you explain to me what exactly you're doing," she said, trying to be friendly despite her hangover/tired grumpiness.

"I don't need or want your company, and I certainly don't need your help."

Kelsie narrowed her eyes into a glare. "Fine, you may not need my help, but you're stuck with me anyway since I won't be able to fall back asleep anytime soon."

All she got in reply was the sound of a saw cutting into wood, so she took that as an okay. She watched Mr. Todd work on the chair with fascination. Building things was something that she had always found amusement in since she was a little girl. Her grandfather would let her help out with different things all the time; they had even built a bird house together when she was about eight once. Then when she entered middle school she had to take woodshop and she loved it! As she watched chair come together, she had to refrain from reaching out, grabbing a screwdriver, and helping out. A screw rolled by and she picked it up, all restraint failing. Letting her blanket fall from her shoulders, she stood, grabbed the nearest screwdriver, and approached the chair and Mr. Todd.

Needless to say, Sweeney was somewhat surprised when the girl squatted down next to him with a screw and screwdriver in her hand. She picked up one of the cogs, and he just watched as she screwed it into place. After checking to make sure it was secure, she looked over at him. "You know, you'll get this thing done sooner if you let someone help you," she stated.

Without waiting for an affirmative, Kelsie picked up another cog and went back to working on the chair. They worked together in silence; only speaking when needing to. When they finished, they stood back to admire their finished work. Mr. Todd stomped on the pedal and watched with fascination as the machine sprang to life. As she watched the chair tip back and convert into a slide that pointed down into the hole in the floor, Kelsie couldn't help but let a shiver pass through her. She also couldn't help but compare the red velvet on the chair to blood; specifically, the blood that would soon be staining it and the floor around it. She felt like she had contributed in creating a monster. She wondered if her feelings of complete disgust and fear of what she had helped create were comparable to the feelings of Dr. Frankenstein when he created his monstrosity.

She tore her gaze from the chair when she felt Mr. Todd's gaze on her. She glanced up at him and found him staring at the scar on her arm. When he noticed that she had caught him staring at the scar wrapping from her one side of her upper arm to the other creating a half circle, he quickly averted his eyes. "Why were you staring at it?" she asked him, covering the scar with her hand.

"I was simply wondering why such a little thing could get you so worked up. That could barely pass as a severe wound."

The glare that Kelsie sent him could have almost matched his own. The ferocity of it almost startled Sweeney. "It's not wise to speak of things that you know absolutely _**nothing**_ about, Mr. Todd!" she spat.

"Then enlighten me, Ms. Douglas."

"Why do you even care? We are not friends, and I doubt anything could come out of my story to your advantage," Kelsie stated, gathering her blanket, "Good night."

She stormed past the barber and made her way to the door. She heard him sit down in the newly mechanized chair, but she refused to give him a second glance. Just as she reached the door, she paused for a moment and then sighed. "Once upon a time, there lived a little girl with her mother and father," she began, turning to face him.

"When the little girl was five, her parents divorced. Turns out the only reason that they had married each other in the first place was because the mother had become pregnant with the little girl and their two families basically forced the marriage to keep a good reputation in the community. Both parents loved their little girl dearly, but they just did not love each other. So after the divorce, the little girl went to see her daddy every other weekend.

Now, the little girl had seen her father drink before, but after the divorce, his drinking became steadily worse. The girl had to get used to avoiding her father when he drank or deal with his yelling. Whenever the girl had to face his wrath, her father would yell very hurtful things to her such as 'you made me waste six years of my life with that woman' or 'women don't go for men who have kids already'. (You see, her father lived in the country away from other houses so yelling loud was not a problem and the cops were never called.) He always apologized for everything he had said to her the next morning. Foolishly, the girl always forgave him and blamed the alcohol for making him like that and say such horrible things. She refused to believe that the words he spouted off when he was drunk were what he really wanted to say to her when he was sober. Now, her father may have always yelled those hurtful things to her, but he never ever harmed her physically in any way. Well, that is until she got a little older…

When the girl was eleven, he hit her for the first time. It was over something completely trivial, like changing the channel on the television (don't ask, I'll explain what that is some other time) or something, but in a fit of drunken rage, he lashed out at her. The girl felt so betrayed; her own father had struck her right across the face. In the morning, when he saw the bruised cheek, he apologized and begged for her forgiveness. Being the foolish girl she was, she forgave him, and when her mom asked about it, she lied and said that she had slipped and the counter she had been standing by hit her face. The girl believed that it would be just a one time thing and her daddy would just go back to yelling at her. She was dead wrong.

It seemed like every time she got in his sight when he was drunk, the father would find some reason that his daughter needed to be struck or 'punished'. And of course every time he would wake up the morning after and beg for forgiveness, saying that it would never happen again. The stupid girl fell for it every single time and would tell her mother lie after lie about where her bruises came from. This continued for a year.

One night, when the girl was twelve, her father had drunk much more than his normal amount. His rampage was an extremely violent one. Tables were flipped, the aquarium got busted, and at least one chair was broken by the end of it. The girl was so frightened that she went and hid under her bed, but he ended up finding her. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her out. In his hand was a broken beer bottle with jagged edges. 'If she had listened to me and got an abortion, you would have never seen the light of day! I wouldn't have had to marry that whore nor would I have to put up with you! You've ruined my life!' Those were the exact words he said to her. I—she still can hear them being screamed to her in her nightmares. After he said that, he…he…he slashed at her with the broken bottle. Thankfully, his aim had been off and wherever his original intent, which the girl believed to be her throat, ended up being the upper part of her right arm. Although it had just been her arm, there still had been a fair amount of pain. He left her curled up in a ball sobbing.

When he left, the girl immediately called for an ambulance, transportation to a hospital, and the police. Her father was arrested and she was taken to the hospital to get stitches for the gash. Our story ends after a long, emotional legal battle where the girl's father was given five years for child abuse. Although he may have gone to prison, the girl, even to this day, does not feel like justice has been served. After all when he's released, he can just go on with life and forget about his daughter and his ex-wife. She, on the other hand, will always have a constant reminder him… He doesn't have to deal with the reoccurring nightmares like she does…he doesn't have to feel stupid almost everyday of his life for continuously believing all those lies…HE DOESN'T HAVE TOACCEPT THE FACT THAT EVERY DRUNKEN WORD OUT OF HIS FATHER'S MOUTH WAS TRUE! HE DOESN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT HIS FATHER _**NEVER**_ LOVED HIM!"

By the end, Kelsie was yelling and tears were flowing freely down her face. She shamefully covered her face with her hands as she tried to control the sobs wracking her body. "Why did I get blamed for it?" she whimpered behind her hands, "It's not like I _chose_ to be conceived!"

Mr. Todd stared at the sobbing girl from his chair. He couldn't help but feel a small pang of pity towards the girl. Truly, the man who dared call himself her father was a monster. Any man who could do that to his own child deserves to die a very painful death; a death much like the one he had planned for a certain judge. The girl was right; she had not chosen to be conceived, but she still received the blame. It was not her fault. His ice cold heart softened the tiniest bit as he watched the broken girl cry on his floor.

Kelsie's cries instantly ceased when she felt a hand brush over her head. She looked up and saw Sweeney standing above her, his fingers slowly running through her hair. "Get up," he growled.

Obeying his command, she shakily stood before him. He grabbed her arm in a tight, but somewhat gentle, grip and began leading her down the stairs. He took her to her room and made her lay down in her bed. "Sleep," he commanded, turning to go.

A small hand catching his wrist made him stop. "I guess, you can care…at least a little bit," she whispered, her grip slacking as sleep took over.

Sweeney turned back to her and saw her fast asleep. Unconsciously, he brushed away some of the hairs covered her face; something he had always done to Lucy whenever she was sleeping and he was still awake. Realizing what he was doing, he jerked his hand away and swiftly exited the room.

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Opal: The end of another glorious chapter. I'm on a roll! Woot! Oh, and reviews are always welcomed!! :D


	14. Proposal

Opal: Uhhhhhh, hi guys? *avoids sharp pointy objects*

Will: Did you honestly expect them to be happy to see you? *drinks tea*

Opal: No….But I have a good reason for the hiatus!

Will: Oh, do tell. This should be good.

Opal: Shut it! I created you! I can easily destroy you! Anyway, I am soooo sorry! I've been going through some really tough times as of late, and my passion for writing has been kind of put out as of late. Last night I just got the urge so I decided to give this story another go! But yeah, I'm really sorry and I hope you guys haven't given up hope on me yet!

Will: Well said Opal! Now, you all know she doesn't own anyone (besides Kelsie and me) or anything unless otherwise noted.

Opal: Thanks Will!

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Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~__Kelsie's cries instantly ceased when she felt a hand brush over her head. She looked up and saw Sweeney standing above her, his fingers slowly running through her hair. "Get up," he growled._

_Obeying his command, she shakily stood before him. He grabbed her arm in a tight, but somewhat gentle, grip and began leading her down the stairs. He took her to her room and made her lay down in her bed. "Sleep," he commanded, turning to go._

_A small hand catching his wrist made him stop. "I guess, you can care…at least a little bit," she whispered, her grip slacking as sleep took over._

_Sweeney turned back to her and saw her fast asleep. Unconsciously, he brushed away some of the hairs covered her face; something he had always done to Lucy whenever she was sleeping and he was still awake. Realizing what he was doing, he jerked his hand away and swiftly exited the room.~*~_

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Chapter 14: Proposal

Kelsie finally woke back up at ten o'clock that morning. She groaned lightly when she realized that her headache had returned full force. In her haste to get her Tylenol, she about ripped the poor drawer from the nightstand. As she opened the bottle, she contemplated on what had occurred during the night. She remembered going up to Mr. Todd's, but everything after that was fuzzy due to being still slightly under the influence. The only thing she could vividly remember was the death trap she had assisted in assembling. 'Oh well, must not have been too important,' she thought, dumping two pills into her hand.

Once the pills had been dry-swallowed, she made her way downstairs to get a little breakfast. "Good morning, dear!" Mrs. Lovett chirped cheerfully when she saw the hung-over girl stumble into the shop.

"Ugh, how can you be so loud and cheery?" Kelsie moaned, going to get a glass of water.

Mrs. Lovett only chuckled in response before turning back to check on the porridge she had been making. Kelsie, muttering a few obscenities about the brightness of the room, went and sat down next to an equally, if not more, hung-over Toby. After gulping down some water, she let herself slump against the table. A few minutes passed and she began to get the feeling she was being watched. Lifting her head slightly, she saw Toby staring at her with an odd expression on his face. It was like she had grown an extra head or something grotesque. "What? Do I have eyeliner smeared all over my face or something?" she asked.

"Y-your clothes!" the boy exclaimed, a blush flaring up at the sight of the exposed flesh of her legs.

Kelsie burst into a fit of giggles before placing a light kiss on the boy's cheek. "You'll get used to it!" she replied.

Even more blush rushed to his cheeks by her simple act of sisterly love. He watched her climb back up the stairs before returning a few moments later wearing a simple, forest green dress. She came and sat back down beside Toby before taking a few bites of the breakfast set before her. When she was finished, she looked over and saw Toby wolfing down his third bowl. As she watched him eat, in a total non-creepy sort of way, she couldn't help but think about how cute the teenager was. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and grabbed him. "You're soooo adorable!" she squealed, giving him a big hug.

The blush Toby had forced down was now back with a vengeance. When she released him, he instantly fought to regain his composure while Mrs. Lovett chuckled at both of them. "Kelsie, you'd best not be trying to suffocate my new assistant!" she jested, ruffling the boy who still had a pink hue on his cheeks.

Kelsie laughed in response before going to rinse her bowl out. Not long after she had finished, the shop door opened and Will strolled in. Her heart instantly swelled at the sight of him, and she bounded over him to receive a hug and kiss. Just as things were about to get a bit more intimate, Mrs. Lovett brought them back to reality by clearing her throat. The two lovers instantly broke apart and began to get red in the face. Will was the first to recover and swooped down to pick up Kelsie bridal-style. "Mrs. Lovett, I hope you don't mind, but I will be stealing this lovely maiden away from you for a bit!"

"Of course I don't mind! Take her! Keep her as long as you want! I don't have much need for her anymore since I've got meself a new assistant!"

A shriek of laughter escaped Kelsie as Will carried her off towards the door. "Well, you heard Mrs. L! I get to keep you as long as I want! You'd best say your goodbyes now Mr. Douglas because I want you forever!"

"Goodbye Mrs. Lovett! Thanks _so _much for letting him take me. (Please take note of my sarcasm!) Goodbye Toby! I wish we had more time to get to know each other!" Kelsie managed to get out around her laughter.

William carried Kelsie out the door before setting her down on her feet. He took her hand and began leading her away from Fleet Street. Kelsie happened to look up and see Mr. Todd glaring down at the street from out his window.

_Kelsie's cries instantly ceased when she felt a hand brush over her head. She looked up and saw Sweeney standing above her, his fingers slowly running through her hair. "Get up," he growled…_

_He grabbed her arm in a tight, but somewhat gentle, grip and began leading her down the stairs. He took her to her room and made her lay down in her bed. "Sleep," he commanded, turning to go…_

Kelsie shook her head to clear the fog from her mind away. '_Where had that come from?' _she wondered as Will continued to lead her down the street, _'…Did that happen last night? …Nah! I was probably just dreaming about him being nice for once! I really should stay away from that gin!'_

Mr. Todd could still hear Kelsie's joyous laughter when she was halfway down the street. It puzzled him as to how she could still be so happy after seeing the darker, bitter side to her that she had shown him the previous night. However, his thoughts did not linger on the girl for he spied a bearded man coming towards his shop. That man would be the day's first victim. He had a nice build to him and Todd was sure that Mrs. Lovett would be most pleased with that one. Slapping on an extremely sweet smile, he greeted his prey and permitted him inside. His friend was soon dripping with rubies…

Will drug Kelsie to the park and they settled themselves on a grassy hill. Kelsie was picking the dandelions nearby and creating a crown from them until she heard Will clear his throat. She looked up from her work she was intently focused on and saw him nervously fiddling with his fingers. "Um, Kelsie, could you stand up for a minute?"

With a questioning look, Kelsie obeyed the odd request. Once she stood, William kneeled on one knee before her. Both of her eyebrows shot up and the dandelion crown slipped through her fingers as he pulled out a small, black velvet box from his pocket. "Miss Kelsie Douglas, I would be most pleased and most honored if you accepted my hand in marriage," Will stated, opening the box.

Inside the small box was a beautiful silver engagement ring with three glittering diamonds on it. A shaky hand covered her mouth and tears of joy began to leak from her eyes. "Yes," she finally said, "I will marry you, William Hopkins."

Will let out a great sigh of relief and placed the ring on her finger. Filled to the brim with joy, he scooped her up and spun her around in his arms. "Well, we'd better get you back. I'm positive there's someone you're absolutely bursting to tell about this!" he said, putting his new fiancée down.

Kelsie nodded excitedly and began to race down the hill. Will caught up to her quick and took up her hand in his. They made it back to Mrs. Lovett's and, after a long goodbye, Kelsie went inside. "Perfect! You're just in time for lunch!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed.

"Mrs. Lovett?"

"Yes, dearie? Is something wrong? Are you feeling well?"

"Well, my hand isn't feeling quite right…"

"…your hand? Well, let's see it then."

Kelsie placed her hand with the ring on it in Mrs. Lovett's to have it inspected. "Nothing seems to be wrong. Maybe this ring is on too tight?"

Mrs. Lovett's eyes widened considerably when she noticed what finger the ring was on. She looked up at the now grinning Kelsie with a look of pure shock. "Kelsie, is this what I think it is?"

"Maaaaaaaaybe!"

"You mean to tell me, that William Hopkins, your childhood friend, proposed to you?"

"YES!"

Mrs. Lovett enveloped the bouncing girl in tight hug. Since Kelsie was the daughter she never had, Mrs. Lovett couldn't help but feel as excited as a mother should about her daughter getting engaged. She also couldn't help the pang of sadness that went through her when she realized that Kelsie would be leaving her. Did she not just get her back? It seemed like only yesterday the eighteen year old reentered her life. Then again, maybe having her gone would be a good thing. It meant she wouldn't have to become involved with Mr. Todd's revenge on the world. Mrs. Lovett trusted the girl enough to not run to the law. Also, the more selfish side of her began to think, having the much younger girl gone would leave Mrs. Lovett as the only woman around to comfort Mr. Todd. Perhaps she would have a better shot of winning the cold man's love without a pretty girl running about the shop.

Just as the two women parted, Mr. Todd entered. "Mr. T, I'd like to introduce you to the future Kelsie Marie Hopkins!" Mrs. Lovett announced, thrusting Kelsie's ringed finger into the man's face.

No emotion came across Mr. Todd's features. His countenance remained perfectly stone-like as he stared at the sparkling ring. He walked into the parlor and poured himself a decent sized glass of gin. "Mr. T is probably really excited for ya!" Mrs. Lovett said, attempting to make up for Mr. Todd's indifference, "But you know how he can be about expressing many emotions besides anger…"

"Yeah, I know that all too well," Kelsie muttered, taking a glance down at her scarred color bone.


	15. Of Razors and Legs

Opal: Thanks for all the reviews! ^.^ Oh, and Gizmo, the quote is from Willy Wonka! Now, since Will is off in La La Land since Kelsie said yes, I will be giving my own disclaimer today! I don't own anything besides Kelsie and William!

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Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

~*~ _"Miss Kelsie Douglas, I would be most pleased and most honored if you accepted my hand in marriage," Will stated, opening the box._

_Inside the small box was a beautiful silver engagement ring with three glittering diamonds on it. A shaky hand covered her mouth and tears of joy began to leak from her eyes. "Yes," she finally said, "I will marry you, William Hopkins."_

_No emotion came across Mr. Todd's features. His countenance remained perfectly stone-like as he stared at the sparkling ring. He walked into the parlor and poured himself a decent sized glass of gin. "Mr. T is probably really excited for ya!" Mrs. Lovett said, attempting to make up for Mr. Todd's indifference, "But you know how he can be about expressing many emotions besides anger…"_

_"Yeah, I know that all too well," Kelsie muttered, taking a glance down at her scarred collar bone. ~*~_

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Chapter 15: Of Razors and Legs

Three weeks had gone by and everything seemed to be running smoothly for the inhabitants of the pie shop on Fleet Street. Mr. Todd was receiving lots of business even with the multiple kills he made throughout the day. Toby became the perfect waiter and did his best to impress Mrs. Lovett and Kelsie. Mrs. Lovett was slowly gaining popularity throughout London with her new meat pie recipe and receiving a steady flow of costumers and money. And Kelsie, with the help of Mrs. Lovett and Mrs. Hopkins, was planning out her wedding along with dutifully serving the meat pies without protest.

As for their wedding plans, Kelsie and William both decided that they wanted to be married in the early fall. Although it was traditional for the bride's family to pay, the Hopkins family insisted on covering all the expenses. They were so excited that their son was finally going to settle down and start a family! They were even more pleased that he was marrying a girl that they had known and loved as one of their own for years.

"Kelsie, wake up!"

Kelsie jerked awake at the command and found Toby leaning over her. It had become a routine for him to wake her up almost every morning, so she wasn't surprised. She smiled groggily before grabbing him and pulling her into the bed with her. "It's too early!" she groaned, cuddling the blushing boy.

"I-It's the same time I wake you up every other morning!"

"I know… It's just that I didn't sleep very well last night. Mr. Todd was up pacing again…"

"I don't like Mr. Todd very much, Miss Kelsie."

"Why? Is it because he keeps me up at night? Aw, Toby! You're so sweet!" Kelsie exclaimed jokingly.

"Well, um, not really. He just makes me feel uneasy…There's something not right about him."

"Mr. Todd's not _that _bad, Toby," Kelsie stated, feeling like she was only somewhat lying, "He's had a pretty hard life so it's no wonder he's not all that sociable."

"I still think he's dangerous. I don't want him to hurt Mrs. Lovett or you, Miss Kelsie! It's like he has you both bewitched so you can't feel how dangerous he really is!"

'Oh, believe me Toby, I know,' Kelsie thought

"If anyone's going to be bewitching people around here, it's me. After all, I am a witch!"

"Yes, but you're a good witch Miss Kelsie!"

Toby had been well informed about Kelsie being a witch from Mrs. Lovett the morning he saw her in modern clothing. He was skeptical about it at first, but after showing him a trick or two, Kelsie had him completely convinced. Despite what she was, he still felt attached to her. She was very quickly becoming the big sister he never had.

"Be that as it may, I still don't think Mr. Todd is bewitching Mrs. Lovett or me, but, if I ever feel that he's using some type of magic, I'll be sure to take care of it; I promise. Now, let's go see if breakfast is ready!"

They both got out of the bed, Kelsie was a bit more reluctant to leave the warm sheets, and went down to eat. After she finished her meal, Kelsie decided that she was going to take a nice soak in the bathtub before she had to get to work. Once settled in the warm water, she let her thought wander. She ended up focusing on her fiancé, William. She glanced over at the engagement ring sitting on top of her towel that sat on the counter. "I'm going to be married in two months," she whispered, almost bordering on disbelief, "September tenth…Am I really ready for this?...Mom would kill me…But I love him!...He loves me too!"

As she was bathing, she realized that her legs could have used a good shave, but as she began to shave, the dull blades of her razor only succeeded in cutting herself. Hissing in pain, she dunked her leg into the water to stop the blood flow. 'This is just great! That was my last cartridge too! I really don't want hairy legs, but I don't want to go back home!' she thought, beginning to ever so slightly panic at the thought of going back to her time.

Suddenly, the light bulb clicked on above her head and she quickly finished washing up. She hastily threw on a tank top and shorts and sneakily made her way up to Mr. Todd's shop. 'Please, _PLEASE _let him be in a decent mood!' she silently prayed before knocking lightly on the door.

The door wrench open and she was greeted by the same stony expression Mr. Todd almost always wore. "What?" he growled, instantly irritated by the cheery girl's presence.

"Um…Mr. Todd, I was, uh, wondering if I could, uh…If I could…could…"

"Spit it out, girl!"

"!" Kelsie finally got out all in one breath.

"…No," Todd replied, beginning to shut the door in her face.

"But Mr. Todd!" she cried, dodging inside (much to the barber's annoyance), "My razor is really dull and I can't sharpen the blades! I can't replace them either since I'm all out!"

"Then buy your own! Now get out!"

"I will as soon as I get enough tip money from working in the pie shop! But my legs need shaved now! I feel gross! Please Mr. Todd! I'll even clean the shop whenever you need to if you'd just let me shave every once in a while!"

Kelsie was just about ready to get down on her knees and beg the man when he finally answered. "Sit," he ordered, pointing to the chair.

"You're a saint Mr. Todd!" she replied, choosing to ignore the dark look he shot her.

She was already expecting Mr. Todd to make her stay in the shop so he could watch over his razor. What she was not expecting was for him to grab a stool, sit down, grab her leg, and begin to coat it with shaving cream. "W-what are you doing?!" she stuttered out, a pink hue staining her cheeks.

"No one touches my razors," he growled, "No one but me."

After her leg was covered with the cream, he placed her foot on his thigh which only increased her blush. When the cool metal of the razor met her warm skin, Kelsie jumped slightly. "Don't move!" Todd snapped, grabbing a hold the leg to keep it in place.

Kelsie stilled but remained extremely tense. Her breathing almost ceased and she squeezed her eyes tight when the razor returned to her leg. After a few moments, she peeked open one eye to observe the barber's work. She was slightly surprised to see him focused on actually shaving her leg instead of trying to make her bleed. When she noticed that he wasn't going to hurt her, she started to relax. The more relaxed she got, the more aware she became of how nice his hand felt brushing against her skin.

At that thought, she nearly started again. Things like that were not supposed to be going through her head! For one thing, she was engaged! Only Will's hands should feel that nice running up her leg! For another, it was Mr. Todd! That man had only caused her loads of grief since she had returned!

Thankfully, before she could dwell on it longer, Todd had finished. After quickly thanking him, she raced from the shop and back downstairs. Once safely in her room, a giant sigh of relief escaped her. She chanced a glance in the mirror and was most displeased to find a bit of pink still remained in her cheeks. She spun away from her reflection and snatched a bottle of lotion from the top of her dresser. She plopped down on her bed and began to lotion up her legs so they wouldn't dry out. All the while, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but long for the deliciously cool hands that had previously been touching her. 'Bad Kelsie!' her mind screamed.

Upstairs, Mr. Todd sat in his chair dutifully cleaning every speck off his already shining razor. Although he would have very much liked to have ignored it, the flowery scent of Kelsie's body wash and shampoo lingered in the air about the chair. He could still clearly see the image of her blushing face as she ran out the door in his mind and scoffed. The girl was absolutely pathetic! She was engaged, but she couldn't control her hormones when another man touched her. Lucy never would have reacted in such a manner! However, he was also deeply disgusted with himself. You see, Sweeney Todd took pleasure in the feel of her smooth flesh and the way Kelsie squirmed beneath his fingertips far more than he cared to admit.


	16. Nineteen

Hey guys! Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I would have updated sooner, but I had to take care of my mom for a bit since she just had surgery and then prom was Saturday!

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Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~ Thankfully, before she could dwell on it longer, Todd had finished. After quickly thanking him, she raced from the shop and back downstairs. Once safely in her room, a giant sigh of relief escaped her. She chanced a glance in the mirror and was most displeased to find a bit of pink still remained in her cheeks. She spun away from her reflection and snatched a bottle of lotion from the top of her dresser. She plopped down on her bed and began to lotion up her legs so they wouldn't dry out. All the while, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but long for the deliciously cool hands that had previously been touching her. 'Bad Kelsie!' her mind screamed._

_Upstairs, Mr. Todd sat in his chair dutifully cleaning every speck off his already shining razor. Although he would have very much liked to have ignored it, the flowery scent of Kelsie's body wash and shampoo lingered in the air about the chair. He could still clearly see the image of her blushing face as she ran out the door in his mind and scoffed. The girl was absolutely pathetic! She was engaged, but she couldn't control her hormones when another man touched her. Lucy never would have reacted in such a manner! However, he was also deeply disgusted with himself. You see, Sweeney Todd took pleasure in the feel of her smooth flesh and the way Kelsie squirmed beneath his fingertips far more than he cared to admit. ~*~_

* * *

Chapter 16: Nineteen

(**Warning:** This chapter is a fluffy one, and Mrs. Lovett is extremely OOC, but I promise that the OOC-ness is a necessity for the plot!)

"Toby, why exactly did you have to blindfold me?"

"Mrs. Lovett said too! Now, come on!"

Toby grasped the slightly stumbling Kelsie by the hand and began leading her down to the parlor. The younger boy had been waiting for this moment for the entire day! He couldn't wait to see Kelsie's face when the blindfold was removed! Excitedly, he ushered her down the stairs and all but dragged her into the room.

"Okay, you can take it off now!"

Kelsie did as the boy said, and, once the blindfold was removed, a happy sight greeted her. "SURPRISE!" Toby, Mrs. Lovett, and Will all exclaimed.

The three all stood around the coffee table that had a cake resting on it. The cake was covered in white icing and had nineteen, lit candles stuck in. Kelsie stared at the cake in confusion for a moment before a surprised look took over. "I can't believe I forgot my own birthday!"

"How could you forget your own birthday?!" Toby cried, looking as if she had committed some heinous crime.

"I honestly don't know. I guess it's just with what's all been going on, it slipped my mind."

"Well, enough about that!" Mrs. Lovett cut in, "Come blow out these candles before the wax drips onto the cake!"

Kelsie came over and stood before the delicious looking cake. After making a wish, she took a big breath and blew out all the candles. Once they cake was served, they all sat around the room (Kelsie forced into Will's lap) and talked about whatever came too their minds. Then it came time for Kelsie to open her presents. Toby stepped forward first and handed her a sloppily wrapped gift.

"Awww! Toby, it's so cute!" Kelsie exclaimed, hugging the teddy bear, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Miss Kelsie!" Toby replied with a big grin.

Next, Will presented her with a lovely bouquet of roses and a request to take her out the next night. She readily accepted both the flowers and the date with a kiss. Finally, Mrs. Lovett came forward with her gift. "Wow!" Kelsie said when she opened the small box.

The ring inside the box was fairly simple (just a silver band with a amethyst gem in the middle), but Mrs. Lovett's reasoning behind the gift was extremely touching. "It had been me mum's," she explained, "I don't wear much jewelry since they are too much of a hassle with the pies, and so I figured, since it matches your necklace, that I'd give it to you. Besides, it's been a sort of tradition to pass it down to a woman in the family since my great grandma, and, because I consider you one of my own, it goes to you."

Kelsie immediately gave the older woman a hug. Mrs. Lovett readily returned the embrace before going to clean up the dishes. Her words had been absolutely true; Kelsie was the daughter she had never had. Although she knew that she had her flaws and demons, one thing Mrs. Lovett prided herself in was being a true mother at heart, and Kelsie, in her eyes, would always be her child.


	17. Mounting Tension

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~Although she knew that she had her flaws and demons, one thing Mrs. Lovett prided herself in was being a true mother at heart, and Kelsie, in her eyes, would always be her child.~*~_

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Chapter 17: Mounting Tension

The luck of all those inhabiting the pie/barber shop on Fleet Street continued to improve as the days rolled by. The pie shop had gained so much popularity that Mrs. Lovett even began to consider officially re-opening it. Despite the shadowy deeds being performed, the atmosphere of the two shops was completely content and even border-lined joyful. Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett were closer than ever, and Toby was becoming a big part in their little family. Even Mr. Todd seemed a bit more subdued due to the steady supply of victims each day brought.

Kelsie was taking a bath when she realized that, once again, her legs needed to be shaved. Wanting to avoid asking Mr. Todd for a shave at all cost, she tried to shave with her dull razor. She managed to do her armpits with little problem, but on the first swipe on one of her legs a hiss of pain escaped her. Cursing, she plunged her leg down into the lukewarm water to try and staunch the blood flow. 'Looks like I'll have to go visit Mr. Todd…..yay…'

After drying off and throwing on a simple green dress, she made her way up to the barber shop. "Mr. Todd," she called, knocking on the door, "Are you busy?"

"What?" the man replied, wrenching open the door.

'Can't you say something other than 'What' whenever I come up?' she thought, already regretting that she had come.

"Could you please shave my legs again?" she asked out loud, already expecting a negative response.

She honestly didn't know what spirit had possessed him and allowed her to sit down in the barber chair once again. Her surprise and confusion only grew when he began to lather her legs like he done last time. Did he think she wasn't capable of doing such a simple thing? However, she decided it was best not to complain since he was in such an oddly merciful mood. When he grabbed her leg to hold it steady, she instantly began to feel much like she had last time she was in the very same situation. Her chest tightened and her heart began to pick up its pace. 'Get a hold of yourself!' the rational part of her mind screamed, 'Think of Will!'

Mr. Todd squeezed her calf a bit harder when she tried moving away from the cool metal of the razor. The dark look he shot her was enough to make her resist all urges to move away. The razor glided over her leg in smooth strokes, and Kelsie let her head fall back and a contented sigh escaped her. For some reason, having him shave her legs was oddly relaxing. Maybe it was because of the way his fingers would lightly stroke her sent pleasurable vibes shooting up her spine? She briefly wondered if he really needed to touch her so much but reasoned that he was probably just checking for spots he may have missed.

Her cheeks darkened a considerable amount when he lifted her leg a bit to get the underside of her thigh. She grabbed the skirt of her dress that had risen up considerably and held it down to protect her underwear from view. Her upper body squirmed with anxiety at the thought of him actually seeing her choice of undergarments for the day. She suffered through the other leg before she was finally released. She dumped a few coins out of her purse out onto the table beside the chair before fleeing the shop.

* * *

"Kelsie, are you feeling all right?" Mrs. Lovett asked when she saw her come into the pie shop, "Ya look flushed, dear."

"Y-yeah, I'm okay. Mr. Todd had me clean up his shop a bit, and it was a hot up there," Kelsie replied.

Kelsie lied to her caretaker only because she didn't want her getting the wrong idea. The last thing she wanted was for Mrs. Lovett to think she was having an affair with Mr. Todd. Kelsie wasn't stupid; she knew that Mrs. Lovett cared for Mr. Todd deeply and knew if Mrs. Lovett suspected that she was with him, hell would break loose. She quickly escaped to her room and collapsed on her bed. 'Why is he doing this to me?' she thought, clutching her pillow, 'I shouldn't be feeling like this! Mrs. Lovett loves him, and I love Will!'

A frustrated groan escaped her as she wrenched open her nightstand drawer, looking for her Tylenol to stop her oncoming headache.

* * *

What she didn't realize was that, upstairs, Mr. Todd was also beginning to get a headache. He couldn't get the image of her out of his mind! The blissful look on her face as his razor ran up and down her legs, the way her chest raised with sharp intakes of breath each time his fingers danced across a sensitive spot on her skin, how little droplets of water from her damp hair would slide down and disappear between her breasts, and, worst of all, the flash of lace he caught when her dress hiked up too far. They were all driving him even more insane! Certainly she knew what she was doing to him! He could clearly see the lust partially clouding her eyes along with some other emotions he couldn't place. He thought about how much he would have liked to pin her to the chair and punish her for being such a tease, regardless if she was doing it intentionally or not. But could it really be called punishment when she would most likely enjoy it too?

A small vase full of gillyflowers, curtsey of Mrs. Lovett, was violently flung across the room and shattered against the wall.


	18. Breaking Point

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~_ _The last thing she wanted was for Mrs. Lovett to think she was having an affair with Mr. Todd. Kelsie wasn't stupid; she knew that Mrs. Lovett cared for Mr. Todd deeply and knew if Mrs. Lovett suspected that she was with him, hell would break loose. She quickly escaped to her room and collapsed on her bed. 'Why is he doing this to me?' she thought, clutching her pillow, 'I shouldn't be feeling like this! Mrs. Lovett loves him, and I love Will!'_

_He couldn't get the image of her out of his mind! The blissful look on her face as his razor ran up and down her legs, the way her chest raised with sharp intakes of breath each time his fingers danced across a sensitive spot on her skin, how little droplets of water from her damp hair would slide down and disappear between her breasts, and, worst of all, the flash of lace he caught when her dress hiked up too far. They were all driving him even more insane! Certainly she knew what she was doing to him! He could clearly see the lust partially clouding her eyes along with some other emotions he couldn't place. He thought about how much he would have liked to pin her to the chair and punish her for being such a tease, regardless if she was doing it intentionally or not. But could it really be called punishment when she would most likely enjoy it too?~*~_

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Chapter 18: Breaking Point

'What am I going to do? I can't avoid the man forever since he lives on the floor above...Wait…Why should I avoid him!? I love Will! I have no feeling whatsoever for Mr. Todd!'

"Kelsie?"

The auburn-haired girl was jerked from her thoughts by Will's call and his hand on her shoulder. "Hm? I'm sorry, I guess I dozed off," she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"I really don't understand why you're insisting on being a waitress; it's beginning to wear you down."

"It gives me something to do other than sitting around feeling useless. I can't stay cooped up doing wedding plans all the time either; you know that's not my style."

"Yes, you're right. That's also a huge reason why I love you so much; you're nothing like the women of today."

"And you're nothing like the men of the future."

"Guess that's why we're made for each other."

They both leaned in and shared a loving kiss. Will was shocked when Kelsie boldly wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her tongue against his lips. He parted his lips and let the smooth muscle snake into his mouth. A sound of protest escaped him as she pulled away, but it quickly turned into a moan as she half climbed into his lap and lips attached themselves just behind his earlobe. He soon grew tired of being the dominated one and decided to take control for himself. Kelsie gasped slightly as Will grabbed her by the hips and forced her to lie down on the couch they had been sitting on in Mrs. Lovett's parlor. A small cry of pleasure escaped her when he gave her a harsh nip on her clavicle before returning to her lips. "Kelsie, how did you get that scar?" Will asked between kisses.

Kelsie froze at the simple question. She knew exactly what scar he was talking about; it was the scar Mr. Todd had given her. "Um, it happened a long time ago. I fell and got cut on something. It was so long ago that I don't even remember what it was."

Will gave her a calculating look. The way she had hesitated in her reply slightly concerned him. Why would she lie to him though? However, Will didn't have a chance to dwell on it long; Kelsie had successfully distracted him by covering his lips with hers again.

* * *

Later, Kelsie stood outside staring up the steps that led to the barber shop. Mrs. Lovett had asked her to bring Mr. Todd his dinner since she was too busy baking pies. 'C'mon you can do this!' she mentally coached to herself, 'You just have to give him his dinner and walk out the door. Nothing to it…right?'

Step by step, she slowly made her way up the creaking stairs. Balancing the tray of food in one hand, she opened the door without knocking. Nausea swept over her when she saw the chair sliding back into place and heard a sickening 'thump!' coming from below. She had been placed in the situation a few times in the past while bringing Mr. Todd some food or came to tidy up the shop, but, no matter how many times she encountered it, hearing the muffled sound of skulls cracking against the stone floor of the bake house and blood spattered on the shop's floor made her feel extremely sick to her stomach. "Evening Mr. T!" she greeted, attempting to hide her queasy/uneasiness, "Mrs. Lovett was busy with the pies and asked me to bring up your dinner."

With the smallest smile she could manage, she placed the tray down on the trunk where Pirellli's body had once been stuffed into. She looked at the floor surrounding the death trap she had helped create and noticed some blood there. No matter how disgusted it made her, she grabbed a rag and knelt down to clean it up. She really didn't want to hear it from Mrs. Lovett about not keeping Mr. Todd's shop tidy looking for the customers. _"He'll lose business if they notice the blood, or worse, they'll call in the Beadle!" _she could hear the woman saying.

Mr. Todd stared at the girl as she cleaned up the mess. He had been even more violent than usual when slitting the throats of the men who came in that particular day. Perhaps it had to do with the fury still coursing through him from when he had seen Kelsie with William in the parlor when he had come down for some gin? No, that couldn't be it! The girl was of no importance to him! So, why was he so angry about it? Why did he want to drive his razor into the boy's throat for touching her in such ways?

Kelsie felt his eyes on her but did her best to ignore it. However, it became very hard to focus since she knew he was watching her every move. She felt like a poor mouse getting ready to be snatched up by a hungry hawk. As quickly as she could, she mopped up the mess on the floor before standing up. "Well, Mrs. Lovett or I will come back up later to take your tray and finish tidying up the shop," she said, attempting a smile, "See ya later!"

With that said, she began to swiftly make her escape. A squeak of surprise left her mouth when she felt a hand close around her wrist. She whirled around and came face to chest Mr. Todd. Timidly, she tilted her head back to chance a glance into his eyes. The intensity radiating from them caused her own brown eyes to widen and her breath to catch in her chest. Her heart was thumping so wildly and fast, its erratic pattern was the only thing she could hear. "M-Mr. Todd?" she stuttered out.

He just stood there staring at her with a foreign emotion emitting from his dark eyes. The second attempt to get his attention was cut off by something roughly pressing against her mouth.

That something just happened to be Sweeney Todd's lips.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much to all my readers and reviewers! You all make me smile! :D


	19. Uncontrollable

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~__"Well, Mrs. Lovett or I will come back up later to take your tray and finish tidying up the shop," she said, attempting a smile, "See ya later!" _

_With that said, she began to swiftly make her escape. A squeak of surprise left her mouth when she felt a hand close around her wrist. She whirled around and came face to chest Mr. Todd. Timidly, she tilted her head back to chance a glance into his eyes. The intensity radiating from them caused her own brown eyes to widen and her breath to catch in her chest. Her heart was thumping so wildly and fast, its erratic pattern was the only thing she could hear. "M-Mr. Todd?" she stuttered out. _

_He just stood there staring at her with a foreign emotion emitting from his dark eyes. The second attempt to get his attention was cut off by something roughly pressing against her mouth. _

_That something just happened to be Sweeney Todd's lips.~*~_

**WARNING!: **This is a **LEMON! **I repeat: **THIS IS A LEMON! **It's crappy, but it's still a **LEMON. **So, if you don't like them, skip them! I would also like to point that this story is rated M and that you're reading because you choose to. Please feel free to bypass this chapter if you want. I really don't care since this is my first sex scene, and I think it sucks. But anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 19: Uncontrollable

She stood there, frozen. Her eyes had widened so considerably that they looked like they were about to pop from her skull. In short, Kelsie was in complete shock. Of course, she had good reason to be in such a state. After all, it wasn't everyday that a murderer who rarely showed any other emotion that wasn't synonymous with malice or hatred kissed her.

She couldn't recall when she began to respond to the cold lips crushed against her own. However, when she did begin to return the kiss, things quickly spiraled out of control. Kelsie found herself pinned against the wall and her fingers entangled in Todd's wild locks, trying to pull him closer. Sweeney's tongue forcibly pried into her mouth and easily dominated when she tried to put up a bit of resistance. When he tore himself away from her lips, he instantly attacked her neck with small bites and kisses. He hit one spot on her neck that caused her to arch into him while a moan emitted from her. A heavy blush covered her cheeks and she stopped moving when she felt something stiff brushing against her from the lower regions of his body.

Mr. Todd knew what had made her freeze against him and only smirked against the skin of her throat in response. She truly was a witch and had cast a strong spell over him! He couldn't get enough of the way she tasted, the noises that escaped her, and, most of all, the maddening lust that darkened her eyes to a shade nearer to his own. He frantically gathered her into his arms and took her into his bedroom attached to the shop. He practically threw her onto the small bed before climbing on top of her. She looked like a frightened doe staring up into the eyes of the wolf that was about to feast on her. And feast the wolf would…

When she plopped down on the bed, Kelsie knew she was getting in way over her head. She had to stop it now, or she would be doing something she would regret. 'But would you really regret this?' she asked herself as he claimed her lips again.

When hands began loosening the ties to her dress, she finally decided. William Hopkins completely left her mind at that point and all that was left was Sweeney Todd and how good his fingers felt against her heated skin. In seconds, her dress was thrown to the floor followed by an assortment of other articles of clothing. She soon found herself as bare as the day she was born laying underneath Sweeney. Something somewhat, but not quite, close to a smile tugged at his lips when he noticed her pouting at his state of complete dress. He was surprised when she sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt herself. Once his shirt and vest had joined the pile of clothing on the floor, she began to place feather-light kiss along his chest and trailing her fingers downward.

In all honesty, she had no clue where the sudden boost of courage had come from, but she did hope that it would last. Her hand skimmed down his stomach and came to rest just at his belt buckle. A groan escaped him when she let her hand slide down further and began to stroke his member. He soon grew frustrated that he couldn't really feel her due to the fabric still separating them. With a snarl, he flung her away and all but tore his trousers and underwear from himself. He threw himself back on top of her before grabbing a fistful of her hair and wrenching her head back so he could fully access her neck.

Once he had left his mark on her throat, he moved down a bit further. A gasp escaped Kelsie when he took one of her hardened nipples into his mouth. She was so distracted by the attention being bestowed on her breasts that she didn't notice the hand trailing down her stomach. A surprised yelp left her when she felt a finger plunge into her core. It didn't really hurt her, but it was a bit of a shock. When a second finger was added, a small whimper was emitted. It felt so good that she couldn't help but buck her hips in synch with the fingers moving in and out of her. When Sweeney added a third finger, her head fell back against the pillow and she started gasping. It felt like a hot spring was coiling up inside of her.

He could feel her imminent release as her tight walls started to become even tighter. When they finally clamped down around his fingers, he heard one of the most thrilling things he had ever heard: his name passing through her lips. He decided in that moment that it would _**only **_be his name coming from her in such a passionate cry. Just hearing that voice call his name sent even more blood rushing to his member making the hardness of it almost unbearable. He knew that he wouldn't be able to have his own release until she was crying out for him at least once more.

Kelsie only had moments of recovery time before Sweeney was positioning himself at her entrance. Fear began to pierce her as she though of all the stories some of her friends had told her about their first times. She never was a person with a high pain tolerance and silently prayed that it sounded more painful than it actually was. She held her breath when he slowly began to slide into her. She winced slightly at the intrusion but found her walls quickly adjusting. She was pleasantly surprised that he was being gentle with her; not rough and demanding like he had been earlier. It was like he actually _cared _about her and wanted her to be in as little pain as possible. She felt her heart rate speed up as she pondered on that. Then, with one sharp and swift thrust, he popped her cherry. He clamped his mouth over her own to swallow the small scream she let out. Once he was fully sheathed inside of her, Kelsie blinked away her tears and willed the pain to go away.

After a few moments, the pain soon turned into immense pleasure. When she arched up against him and softly moaned, he knew she was ready. He tried to go slow at first, but soon found himself in an uncontrollable state. Each erotic noise from her caused his thrusts to increase in tempo. Sweeney felt her nails clawing at his back and found himself even more aroused by the slight pain they were inflicting. The moment her silken walls clamped around him, she, once again, cried out his name but much more loudly than the first time.

"Ungh! SWEENEY!"

Hearing her scream his name as she came again sent him into a frenzy. He didn't care if the people below in the pie shop could hear them any longer. He wanted them all to know it was he making Kelsie Douglas scream with pleasure. It was he claiming her, taking her virginity, and making her feel one of the highest pleasures possible. It was all him, not William Hopkins. He continued to thrust ravenously into her as she floated down from the cloud she was on. He was so desperate for his own release that he, in his frantic state, managed to give her another orgasm. When he himself came, he bit down on her clavicle (just above the scar from the cut he had gave her) to muffle his animalistic cry.

Both came down from their blissful highs before feeling the extreme exhaustion from their activities. Sweeney grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "Mine," he growled possessively, nuzzling her neck.

Kelsie couldn't help but get a bit of a thrill when said that. What he said next made her both excited and slightly fearful of what was to come, "_**My**_ Kelsie."


	20. Right or Wrong

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~Both came down from their blissful highs before feeling the extreme exhaustion from their activities. Sweeney grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "Mine," he growled possessively, nuzzling her neck._

_Kelsie couldn't help but get a bit of a thrill when said that. What he said next made her both excited and slightly fearful of what was to come, "__**My**__ Kelsie."~*~_

* * *

Chapter 20: Right or Wrong

They laid with each other on Mr. Todd's bed, neither speaking. The silence was not awkward, but it was not necessarily a peaceful one either. Kelsie slowly began to slip into shock about what had transpired and could feel guilt crashing over her like a wave; more like a tsunami. 'Oh my god…' she thought, 'what have I done?'

A flash of Will went through her head and she could feel tears come to her eyes. She had cheated on Will! He loved her with all of his heart and soul. He would've done anything for her! And how does she repay him? She goes off and sleeps with a murdering half-mad man living above her. She felt like a whore and wished she could promptly go drown herself in the Thames.

Heart heavy with regret, she got out of bed to search for her clothes. Sweeney sat up and watched her as she pulled her underclothes back on. He could feel the remorse radiating from her but did not ask what was wrong. He had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with her fiancée and felt his temper flare. After the way she had given herself to him, she still had feelings for the boy?

Once she was dressed, Kelsie shakily turned to face the barber. She didn't have to look into his eyes to know that he was angry. The only good thing that she could draw from what they had done was that she now felt that she could talk to him without fearing too much for her life. "Look," she started, running a hand through her tangled hair, "I really don't know how this happened, but I swear it will never happen again. It was completely wrong. I have a fiancée, and I love him. William Hopkins was supposed to be my first, but, since I can't have that happen anymore, I want him to be my last."

Although she sounded confident in her words, she couldn't help but notice the way her heart was tightening painfully with each word. Why did it feel like she was telling one big lie? "I'm sorry that this ever happened," she whispered, hanging her head and letting her bangs hide her eyes.

Then, like almost every other time she was up there, she fled from the shop. This time, however, her escape was on wobbly legs and small winces of pain from the soreness coming betwixt them. Mr. Todd sat on his bed staring at the spot she had stood before she had left. Then, in a fit of rage, shot up and threw his own clothes back on. His anger stewed as he paced about his shop, waiting for his next victim. The poor soul who wandered in for a shave received the most brutal throat slitting in the line of wretches yet. Unfortunately for the next five men who came, one blood bath wasn't enough to satiate his fury.

* * *

"There you are! Where have you been, dearie? You missed the lunch rush and poor lil' Toby and I had a rough time with all the costumers," Mrs. Lovett said when Kelsie appeared in the shop, "They really do loved those pies!"

"I-I was cleaning up Mr. T's shop," Kelsie replied, quickly drumming up a cover story for her hour and a half long absence, "He leaves that place such a pit in the first place, and I guess he got a bit carried away with the last costumer because there was a bigger mess than usual on the floor."

"I see…Well, you better get back out to the courtyard. There are still a bit of customers out there, and you and Toby can 'andle them while I go make pies."

"Kay."

Both women went their separate ways from there. Mrs. Lovett could tell something was off with Kelsie. First, she had walked into the shop looking like something was hurting her and with a troubled look in her eyes. Then, when she asked her where she had been, she had seemed to hesitate in her reply. Finally, when she was walking away, she noticed the way her legs seemed to be quaking slightly underneath her skirts. Mrs. Lovett couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with her, but she could only hope that Mr. Todd hadn't done something to her.

* * *

Toby, although young, could tell something was distressing Kelsie. She looked like she had had her heart ripped out of her. "Miss Douglas, did you have a row with Mr. Hopkins?" he questioned while they both waited to be called by a customer.

"What? Oh, no we didn't…" she answered.

"Then why are you so sad?"

"Honestly, I have no clue."

"_**Because I think I may have feelings for someone other than Will, and that man just happens to be a barber who kills almost all the people who come to him for a shave so they can be grinded up and baked into a pie that almost all of London seems to love. Not to mention I slept with the guy while I was engaged so I'm now a first class ho. Then of course I basically broke my own heart by telling the barber that I don't have feelings for him when I really might before running out the door," **_was what she had really wanted to say but knew Toby would probably freak out.

The boy gave her a look as if to say "Yeah, right" but decided it was best not to press the matter any further. Kelsie was grateful when a costumer called her over for a refill on his ale.

* * *

_~That Evening~_

Every throat was that of the Beadle, the Judge, or Will. He violently stomped on the pedal and sent the body of the elderly gentleman he had just rid from the world down the chute to the bake house. He heard the satisfying crunch of the man's skull hitting against the stone floor just as the trapdoor pulled close and the chair righted itself. He started cleaning off his razor when someone opened his door. He whipped around, and saw Kelsie walk in holding a tray full of food. Her head was bowed and it looked like she wanted to be anywhere but near him.

Silently, she ventured further inside and sat the food down on the trunk. Still not looking at him, she saw the splatters of blood on the floor and let out an exasperated sigh. She picked up a bucket of water with a rag hanging of the side from one of the room's corners. She dunked the rag into the water and got to work on cleaning up the mess. The silence was thick with tension.

Being near him was torturous, but Mrs. Lovett had asked her to bring up his dinner since she was busy rolling out crusts. She also knew that the older woman would get onto her if she were to just leave the floor covered in blood. So, she quietly and obediently did what was expected of her and began to clean the floor. She could feel him staring at her intently and did her best to ignore it. She also did her best to ignore the way her heart was beating a mile a minute because of the stare. 'Will…Think of Will! He loves you, and you love him!' she mentally chanted.

Mr. Todd watched her as she continued to sit on her knees and stare at the floor even though it was completely clean. He could tell she was lost in her thoughts by the blank look in her eyes. Thinking that she was daydreaming about her fiancée, rage began to run through his veins. Fueled by his anger he whipped out his razor that he had just placed in its holster back out and stalked towards her. Just as he was preparing to grab her and slit her throat slowly and painfully, she whipped around to face him. The tears streaming down her face was enough to stop him in his tracks. He was once again seeing the broken girl crying about her father sitting before him. "I'm engaged to William Hopkins," she stated, standing up and wiping away her tears.

"Yes, I know that. You made that perfectly clear this morning Miss Douglas," he snarled, anger slowly consuming him again as the razor flicked open in his hand.

With a newfound determination, she stepped towards him. "I don't give a shit if it's right or wrong anymore."

With that said, she grabbed Mr. Todd's face and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. His reaction was instantaneous. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and she willingly allowed the intrusion. He grabbed her by the hips and slowly began walking her backwards. They both soon found themselves back in his bedroom tearing off each other's clothes as fast as they could. 'If I'm going to hell for this, so be it!' she thought as she was shoved back onto the bed.

* * *

A/N: Yes, yes, I know some of you aren't happy by having Kelsie and Sweeney together and all. I wanted you all to know that I do love a good Sweenette story every once in awhile, but it's just not the route I wanted to take with this particular story. I promise at the conclusion of this story, if you guys hang in there with me, I'll write you all a nice Sweenette one-shot or maybe even a full-blown story! I love you all so much! Oh, and I want to give a special thanks to all of my reviewers! You guys are the ones who keep me going. :D


	21. The Grand ReOpening

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~"I really don't know how this happened, but I swear it will never happen again. It was completely wrong. I have a fiancée, and I love him. William Hopkins was supposed to be my first, but, since I can't have that happen anymore, I want him to be my last."_

_"Because I think I may have feelings for someone other than Will, and that man just happens to be a barber who kills almost all the people who come to him for a shave so they can be grinded up and baked into a pie that almost all of London seems to love. Not to mention I slept with the guy while I was engaged so I'm now a first class ho. Then of course I basically broke my own heart by telling the barber that I don't have feelings for him when I really might before running out the door,"_

_"I don't give a shit if it's right or wrong anymore."_

_'If I'm going to hell for this, so be it!'~*~_

* * *

Chapter 21: The Grand Re-Opening

"**Ladies and gentlemen,  
May I have your attention, perlease?  
Are your nostrils aquiver and tingling as well  
At that delicate, luscious ambrosial smell?  
Yes they are, I can tell..."**

Kelsie gasped as she was shoved against the door of the barber shop. Whatever comment she was about to make was cut off with a heated kiss. You would think she would have expected the surprise attack when she entered the barber shop. After all, Mr. Todd had been unexpectedly pouncing on her for the past three days almost every time she came up.

"**Well, ladies and gentlemen,  
That aroma enriching the breeze  
Is like nothing compared to its succulent source,  
As the gourmets among you will tell you, of course."**

She would have been straight up lying through her teeth if she were to say that she didn't love the rough display of affection. Sweeney's kisses were much more pleasant than Will's in her opinion. Maybe it was because Mr. Todd was a bit more controlling and more passionate with her? Todd wasn't afraid of making her mad by dominating her. Also, it wasn't her deciding to iniciate everything all the time like it had been with Will. He always made her feel cautious by not starting anything because she was constantly wondering if he really wanted to kiss her or cuddle. It was refreshing for her to know that she was wanted by a guy as much as she wanted him.

"**Ladies and gentlemen, **

**You can't imagine the rapture in store…**

**Just inside of this door!"**

"Okay, okay! We've gotta stop!" Kelsie exclaimed, pulling away.

Todd let out a small, animalistic growl of protest and went to grab her face so she couldn't escape. "I'm serious! I've gotta get down there to help Toby and Mrs. Lovett!" she slightly yelled, dodging his questing hands, "Besides, if you hadn't noticed, Mrs. Lovett is starting to get a little bit suspicious about me coming up here all the time now."

"Let her find out," he grunted, finally getting a hold of her.

There was a flash and Mr. Todd stumbled back a few steps. He was beginning to truly loathe her magical abilities with that damned necklace. "I can't tell her…At least not yet. Don't act like you don't know that she's pratically in love with you. If she finds out that we're together, it'll probably break her heart. I need to prepare myself for what her reaction is going to be. She's like a second mom to me…I just want her to be happy for a little while longer."

"Then I'll tell her."

"NO!"

Sweeney swore her eyes flashed purple for a second in her anger. "I'll tell her as soon as I break it off with Will. He should be back from the hunting trip with his dad here in a couple days."

He saw her glance down at the gleaming engagement ring with a slight look of guilt in her eyes. Only he had noticed out of the shops' inhabitants that she had switched the ring from her ring finger to her middle. He knew that she was devoted to him, but the thought of Will always made a bit of rage bubble up inside of him. He couldn't help but slightly fear that her guilt would drive her back into the boy's arms just so she wouldn't have to break his innocent heart. Maybe he should just kill the nuisance and rid both of their lives of him? The thought was tempting…

"I'll come up as soon as I can," she finally said after a moment of silence, placing a hand on his cheek, "Besides, I'm sure you don't want me around while you tend to the guys who come up for a shave after their dinner."

She gave him a sweet, gentle kiss but pulled away before he could deepen it. "Later, Sweeney."

She really was infuriating; leaving him all frustrated and craving her warmth like that. Of course she had no idea of the profound effect she had on him with her simple, innocent actions. In fact, he had only made the discovery of that effect just the other day when she left him with a kiss on his cheek. She would certainly drive him even more mad by the end of everything.

* * *

Kelsie walked down the steps of the shop and into the small yard where lamps had been set up and people sat packed together at the wooden tables beneath them. She crinkled her nose in disgust as she watched them all feasted unknowingly on human flesh. 'So much worse than whatever my high school's food was made of,' she thought, grabbing a pitcher of ale so she could serve the cannibals.

"**There you'll sample  
Mrs. Lovett's meat pies,  
Savory and sweet pies,  
As you'll see.  
You who eat pies,  
Mrs. Lovett's meat pies  
Conjure up the treat pies  
Used to be!"**

She couldn't help but smile as she listened to Toby sing his little song. He really had a talent for making up lyrics. Her smile faded when Mrs. Lovett strode over to her dressed in her brand new dress and freshly washed, neatly curled, and pinned up hair. "What did Mr. T want?"

"The shop needed cleaned up again. He's becoming a lot more violent lately…"

"Yes, well I suppose that's to be expected. What with the Judge shippin' poor Johanna off God only knows where because of that sailor boy. Poor Mr. T must be just about sick with worry; not to mention even angerier. It's good an' all of you to be cleanin' the shop, but maybe you should give him a bit of space. A lil' breathing room may do him some good. He knows how to clean 'imself."

The younger woman just silently nodded in agreement. She knew, although the words had been spoken in kindness, it was a subtle warning that she should back off. Mrs. Lovett patted her on the arm before wandering off to attend to the customers and to flaunt her new wealth and looks.

"**Nice to see you, dearie**

**How are you been keeping?**

**Cor, me bones is weary!**

**Toby! - One for the gentleman...**

**Hear the birdies cheeping-**

**Helps to keep it cheery...**

**Toby! - Throw the old woman out!"**

Kelsie turned to see Toby shooing away a haggard looking woman with dirty hair hanging in front of her equally as dirty face. The beggar had become hanging about the shop lately and gave Kelsie chills. She had heard her warning people away from the pie shop; always ranting about "the devil's wife" causing the "stink of evil" to rise from the bake house's chimney. It was like she knew what heinous things were going on of Fleet Street. Of course, everyone ignored the insane woman's ramblings and continued to filter in to the shop for their lunches and dinners.

"**What's my secret?**

**Frankly, dear, forgive my candor**

**Family secret**

**All to do with herbs**

**Things like bein' careful with your coriander**

**That's what makes the gravy grander!"**

A giggle escaped Kelsie when she saw just whom Mrs. Lovett had been speaking with. Mrs. Mooney looked like she had been slapped in the face with her knife and fork hovering over her pie. Clearly she didn't think Mrs. Lovett was that stupid, did she? What sort of fool would give away their secret recipe regardless if it was made with humans or not? "Nice one!" she said as she passed her.

Mrs. Lovett smiled in response and continued to dish out the goods. Looks like she was feeling a lot better towards her since the warning had been issued. Kelsie chanced a glance up at the barbershop and saw Sweeney staring impatiently down at the crowd of people while pacing on the balcony. She knew he was probably still a bit sore with the little spat they had had and that he was just itching to slice open someone's throat to relieve some of that anger. With things being so content and cheery down in the yard, she eventually couldn't help but join in with the other two.

"**Eat them slow and feel the crust, how thin I (she) rolled it**

**Eat them slow 'cos every one's a prize**

**Eat them slow 'cos that's the lot and now we've sold it**

**Come again tomorrow-**

"**Hold it!"**

Just as Mrs. Lovett flipped the sign to 'Sold Out', a middle-aged man made his way up the steps. Mr. Todd smirked menacingly, which was mistaken by the man for a kindly smile, and led him inside. Later on, no one would notice that he never came back down.

"**Bless my eyes!**

**Fresh supplies…"**

Mrs. Lovett and Kelsie shared a knowing look before going back to their duties.

"**How about it, dearie?**

**Be here in a twinkling!**

**Just confirms my theory**

**Toby! - God watches over us**

**Didn't have an inkling...**

**Positively eerie..."**

"**Is that a pie fit for a king**

**A wondrous sweet and most delectable thing?**

**You see, ma'am, why**

**There is no meat pie—**

"**Toby! Throw the old woman out!"**

Toby took the rag from his apron and, once again, shooed away the old beggar woman. Kelsie saw the enraged look on Mrs. Lovett's face and was actually a little frightened by it. She had never seen her look so angry in the entire time that she had known her! She could distinctly remember accidentally knocking over a fairly expensive vase, but the woman had hardly even cared. What was happening to her?


	22. Paranoia

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_~*~Kelsie saw the enraged look on Mrs. Lovett's face and was actually a little frightened by it. She had never seen her look so angry in the entire time that she had known her! She could distinctly remember accidentally knocking over a fairly expensive vase, but the woman had hardly even cared. What was happening to her?~*~_

* * *

Chapter 22: Paranoia

_She was dressed in a lacey, light pink dress with white shoes adorning her feet. Something was wrong with the picture instantly. Why would she be wearing pink if she thought it looked horrible on her? She reached up to try to locate the ties so she could unbutton it and change but stopped short. The hands she was looking at couldn't have been her hands. The hands that she was looking at were daintier, a bit more slender, and the fingers were a bit longer than her own. What was going on? She raced to the mirror hanging on the wall and let out a scream when she saw her reflection. Staring back at her was a skinny woman with pale, creamy skin, blue eyes, and curly blonde hair._

* * *

Kelsie jerked awake from her nightmare and bolted straight up in her bed. She quickly gave herself a once over and sighed in relief when she saw she was still in her own body. 'What had that been about?' she wondered, settling back down in her sheets, 'That woman was really familiar, but I can't remember where she's from…'

After a few minutes of lying there, her eyes widened when she realized who it was. She had seen photo a dozen times sitting on the vanity Mr. Todd used to place his razors and other barbering tools. Granted it was in black and white, but she had heard Mrs. Lovett saying how Johanna looked exactly like her. The prettiest blue eyes and the most beautiful crop of blonde hair. "Lucy Barker…"

She didn't sleep well for the rest of the night. She couldn't with the way her mind was racing as it tried to figure out why she had dreamed she was a woman who had been dead for fifteen years. She briefly wondered if Lucy's spirit was angry with her for becoming the lover of her husband. Kelsie believed whole-heartedly in the supernatural. Being a witch made her far more aware of the spirits. She had even communicated with a couple when she was younger. Unfortunately, they had been some of the angrier ghosts and had frightened her to the point of never trying to get into contact with any of them ever again. Besides, she never really liked dabbling in the black magic it required to talk to them.

Then another thought struck her. What if her own subconscious was telling her something? Maybe deep down, or not so deep down, she was afraid that she was just becoming a replacement Lucy for Sweeney. The realization of her fear hit her like a lightning strike. She really was scared out of her mind that she was just Lucy #2 to him. With her paranoia fueling her, she slipped out of bed and quietly tiptoed upstairs.

* * *

Mr. Todd was awake. He rarely ever slept, and if he did, it was only for a few hours at a time. The nightmares were just too much for even him to handle. Every time he closed his eyes and attempted to rest, Australia and all those horrid memories that had eventually drove Benjamin Barker to madness and to become Sweeney Todd surfaced. Of course, he would never openly admit the torment that he was put through.

He wasn't surprised when Kelsie walked in. She often came up to see him during the night since that was the only time she felt really safe seeing him for extended period of time without others knowing. He saw the troubled look in her eyes, and, although he wanted to cast the feeling aside as soon as it came, he felt a bit worried. "I have to tell you something," she said, standing in front of him, "Promise you won't get too upset with me, okay? It's just something I really need to tell you."

He quirked an eyebrow, but he didn't speak nor did he agree to promise her (although she never expected him to; she didn't she expect him to stay calm). Taking his silence as an approval to continue, she said, "I don't want to become a replacement Lucy."

His eyes widened a fraction of an inch and he felt his temper flare slightly at the mention of his former wife.

"I'm not her and could never be her. I don't want to take her place. She'll always have a place in Benjamin Barker's heart. I want my place to be in Sweeney Todd's heart."

She was worried he was trying to mold her into another Lucy? He couldn't have done that even if he had wanted to. Although Kelsie had _some _qualities that were Lucy-like, she was not nearly as innocent. The horrors and cruelties of the world had driven Lucy to her death. Kelsie handled them well enough with only the occasional break down and even could stand to live where murder took place. Lucy lived and thrived in light. Kelsie, on the other hand, lived in twilight; she could live in either darkness or light and thrive just the same. Lucy was Benjamin's; Kelsie was Sweeney Todd's.

Needless to say, Kelsie was surprised when he pulled her into a hug. The gentleness he sometimes showed her often threw her for a loop but she never complained since there was no reason to. He didn't have to tell her anything (not that she expected him to). The hug said plenty enough for her, and relief washed over her. She snuggled closer to him and let out a happy sigh. It felt good to not have a care in the world and be able to just relax in someone's arms.

* * *

A/N: I couldn't help it! I needed to get a little fluff thrown in there! I can't help it if I get into one of those fluffy moods! Be happy though! I'm cranking out stuff like crazy right now! Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, I re-wrote the summary for the story. Be sure to check it out and tell me if you like it better! Love ya lots! I may even have another chapter out here in a bit since I'm really in the writing mood write now. Maybe it's because I've finally plotted out the end?


	23. By the Sea

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_**"I'm not her and could never be her. I don't want to take her place. She'll always have a place in Benjamin Barker's heart. I want my place to be in Sweeney Todd's heart."**_

* * *

Chapter 23: By the Sea

The a couple mornings later, Kelsie received a letter from William in the mail.

_Dearest Kelsie,_

_Father and I have decided that we are going to be staying just a few more days on the summer property. We are fortunate enough to have a lot of game to hunt this season and we do not wish to waste this rare opportunity. We shall return by the end of the week, and then we can finish up our wedding plans. Speaking of which, I have wonderful news! Do you remember me telling you about the nice home my parents bought in Wigtown years ago? Well, Father wishes to give it to us! He says that it will be the perfect place for us to start our family. I was told to keep it a secret from you until I had returned, but I cannot keep anything from you. Darling, I miss you terribly and cannot wait to come home and hold you in my arms!_

_Forever and Always,_

_William_

"His dad gave us the house in Wigtown?" she muttered in shock.

"Wot's that dear?" Mrs. Lovett asked, "Is everything all right?"

"Apparently, I now have a house in Wigtown."

"Wigtown? But that's miles from here!"

"I know…"

"You should be happy! You and William have one less thing to worry about now! And if it's a gift from his family, then it will be really nice! Wot's the problem?"

'_I don't really love Will anymore, and I'm having an affair with the man you just so happen love?' _she silently admitted.

"I'm in shock. It's not everyday that you get a house for a wedding present!"

"Yes, well, you'd best get dressed! We're all going to 'ave a little picnic today at the park!"

She hated to admit it, but Mrs. Lovett almost felt glad that Kelsie would be leaving London. The nineteen year old and Mr. Todd were seeing each other too frequently for her tastes. It seemed like every time she turned around, Kelsie would be racing up the stairs. She had her suspicions that she wasn't just cleaning the floors and windows up there. She may have been like a daughter to her, but there was no way that Kelsie was going to be interfering with the dream she had been fantasizing over since before her husband's 'unfortunate' death; especially since it had recently become obtainable. If that meant her leaving for a faraway town, then that was just how it was going to have to be.

Once she was clothed in a simple blue dress, Kelsie went back downstairs to meet everyone. She was pleasantly surprised to see Sweeney among the picnic group. How Mrs. Lovett convinced him to join them, she'll never know.

And so, they all began the walk to the park. Toby, being the most talkative of the odd group, kept chattering away to Kelsie about the kite he had built and how excited he was to try it out. They found a secluded spot by a large tree way out in the park, and Kelsie and Mrs. Lovett spread out the blanket so they all could eat. Toby wolfed down his lunch as rapidly as he could without choking or vomiting so he could get around to flying his kite quicker. Kelsie promised to join him after eating her lunch "slow enough so she could actually enjoy the food." After playing with the boy for a bit, she returned to the blanket where Mrs. Lovett was talking to Mr. Todd with an excited gleam in her eyes. "…which is not to say we couldn't get some nice taxidermy animals to bring a touch of gentility to the place. You know, a boar's head or two…Mr. T, are you listening to me?"

"Of course," he replied, briefly glancing at Kelsie as she sat beside him.

"Then what did I just say?"

"There must be a way to the Judge!"

'So, he's in one of those moods,' Kelsie thought.

She knew that when Sweeney's thoughts turned to the Judge, it was best just to let him be. She didn't blame him for thinking about how to get his revenge on the old Judge. After all, he had stolen his entire life from him and had his daughter locked up somewhere. She just didn't want to know the details about how he was going to do it.

"The bloody old Judge!" Mrs. Lovett finally snapped, having enough of it, "Always harping on the bloody old Judge! We got a nice, respectable business now!"

A very un-ladylike snort came from Kelsie. "I would hardly call our business a nice or respectable one…" she muttered under her breath, receiving a glare from the older woman.

"Money comes in all regular like, and since we're careful to pick and choose—only stranger and such like wot won't be missed—who's going to catch on?"

Mr. Todd had no response to give. Before the silence could drag on, Mrs. Lovett quickly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"**Oooh, Mr. Todd- **

**(Kisses him again) **

**I'm so happy- **

**(Again) **

I could-

**(Again) **

**Eat you up, I really could! **

**You know what I'd like to Do, Mr. Todd? **

**(Kisses him) **

**What I dream- **

**(Again) **

**If the business stays as good, **

**Where I'd really like to go- **

**In a year or so... **

**Don't you want to know?"**

"Of course," Todd said, sounding like he could really care less.

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes, I do," he replied, forcing the smallest of smiles possible.

"**By the sea, Mr. Todd, that's the life I covet,  
By the sea, Mr. Todd, ooh, I know you'd love it!  
You and me, Mr. T, we could be alone  
In a house wot we'd almost own,  
Down by the sea!"**

"Anything you say," Sweeney grumbled, just wanting to appease her.

"Wouldn't that be smashing?"

"**What about me?" **Kelsie chimed in, a hurt look coming to her face.

"Oh Kelsie! You'll be in your lovely home in Wigtown with your own family!" Mrs. Lovett said cheerfully, dismissing her inquiry with a wave of her hand.

'But I thought we were family?' Kelsie thought, a stabbing sensation hitting her heart as she looked down to her right ring finger at the silver ring she had been given to her for her birthday.

"**Think how snug it'll be underneath our flannel  
When it's just you and me and the English Channel!  
In our cozy retreat kept all neat and tidy,  
We'll have chums over ev'ry Friday!  
By the sea!  
Don'tcha love the weather?  
By the sea!  
We'll grow old together!  
By the seaside, **

**Hoo, hoo!  
By the beautiful sea!"**

Mr. Todd and Kelsie both knew she was deep in her own little fantasy world by then. As the woman continued to ramble on, Todd mulled over what she had said about Kelsie going to Wigtown, and Kelsie was trying to deal with the sting of rejection. Toby came back from flying his kite and sat down next to Mrs. Lovett who just continued on with her dream.

"**It'll be so quiet,  
That who'll come by it,  
Except a seagull  
Hoo, hoo!  
We shouldn't try it,  
though 'til it's legal for two-hoo!  
But a seaside wedding could be devised,  
Me rumpled bedding legitimized!  
Me eyelids'll flutter,  
I'll turn into butter,  
The moment I mutter I do-hoo!"**

_That _got both Kelsie's and Mr. Todd's attention. Kelsie felt jealousy shoot through her as she angrily stood up and began pacing behind them all so she could calm down. Mr. Todd looked like he was going to be sick at the mere thought of what Mrs. Lovett had suggested that they do.

"**Down by the sea,  
Married nice and proper!  
By the sea,  
Bring along your chopper!  
To the seaside,  
Hoo, hoo!  
By the beautiful sea!"**

Kelsie felt her heart break a bit more as she watched Mrs. Lovett endearingly placed her arms around Sweeney and Toby. Did she no longer exist or matter? What happened to being like her daughter? **"What about me?" **she repeated quietly to Mrs. Lovett's back, only to have it fall on deaf ears.

* * *

A/N: And so the relationship between Mrs. Lovett and Kelsie begins to crack a little more. To think, it's all because of a crazy barber too! Think they'll ever be able to restore the weird, little mother/daughter bond they once held? Reviews make me happy so you if you leave a couple I may get the next couple chapters cranked out tomorrow/today. (It's 1 in the morning where I'm at!) You guys should feel great about yourselves since I willed myself to write on a partially fried brain due to getting up at 6 yesterday morning since I had to go take my SATs!


	24. Goodbye to You

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_Kelsie felt her heart break a bit more as she watched Mrs. Lovett endearingly placed her arms around Sweeney and Toby. Did she no longer exist or matter? What happened to being like her daughter? __**"What about me?" **__she repeated quietly to Mrs. Lovett's back, only to have it fall on deaf ears._

* * *

Chapter 24: Goodbye to You

Will was back, and Kelsie couldn't have been mores stressed. She was going to break off the engagement; she _had _to. She didn't want to feel like a cheating whore anymore every time she kissed Mr. Todd…or did other things with him…She had to wait until that afternoon to see him, though. The note that he had sent her said that he wanted to take her out for a nice walk around the park. She was planning on not even leaving the pie shop with him.

When he came, Will knew something was wrong. When he hugged her, she squirmed out of his arms. Then when he leaned down and kissed her, she barely even responded. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Hadn't she missed him while he was gone? His concern about her grew as she led him into the parlor. "Kelsie, what's wrong, darling?" he asked as they sat down.

_**Of all the things I've believed in  
I just want to get it over with  
Tears form behind my eyes  
But I do not cry  
Counting the days that pass me by…**_

Looking into his worried green eyes made Kelsie want to start crying. She felt horrible for doing this to him. He was still her best friend, and the protective part of her wanted to shield him from the hurt she was about to put him through. No matter how much she wanted to, she didn't allow herself to cry. She knew that it had to be done. She wanted to be happy, and a married life to Will wasn't going to make her so. Wanting to do it quick, she opened her mouth to speak, "Will, I've been thinking lately…"

_**I've been searching deep down in my soul  
Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old  
It feels like I'm starting all over again  
The last three years were just pretend  
And I said,**_

Will saw the look in her eyes and a look of realization came into his. Panic gripped him. "Darling, I love you. I'd give up everything just to be with you. I'll make you so happy! Our lives will be perfect together."

He didn't know how old everything he was saying was becoming to her. "What if I don't want perfect?" she asked him, "You know I've never really been able to live in the norm. If anything, I live better if something in my life is dysfunctional."

"Kelsie, you don't know what you're saying! It's just nerves about the wedding talking!"

"No, Will, it's not. I know exactly what I'm trying to say. Listen, I think I've mistaken my love for you as something more than it really is…"

She hated that look on his face. It was just making it ten times harder to tell him, but she was sick of pretending. "Kels," he whispered, a shaky hand lovingly cradling her cheek, "what do you want?"

_**Goodbye to you  
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I loved  
The one thing that I tried to hold on to**_

"I…want to break off the engagement."

Will looked like she had slapped him across the face. He looked even more devastated as she continued speaking. "It's just, I can't see myself marrying you anymore. I thought I loved you. I still love you, just not like _that_. You're my best friend; hell, you're more like my brother than anything."

She paused for a minute to let him absorb her words. Then a thought came to her, and, since she was saying everything that was on her mind in the first place, she decided to tell him, "I think a part of me was afraid that you would leave again like you did when we were kids. You remember how horrible it was the day you left. I think I was subconsciously doing everything I could to make you stay."

_**I still get lost in your eyes  
And it seems that I can't live a day without you  
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away  
To a place where I am blinded by the light  
But it's not right**_

"You can't do this!" he whispered, grabbing her face and stroking her cheeks with his slightly rough thumbs, "I love you so much! I'll give you everything! I'll make you so happy! We can make it work!"

Looking into those beautiful eyes made her hesitate. She started to become lost in the sea of green. For a moment, it felt like he was chasing away every thought she had about leaving him. He was her light. However, the light was too bright for her. It didn't feel right anymore. She wanted to go back to her twilight, her Sweeney Todd. She pulled away.

_****_

_**Goodbye to you  
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I loved  
The one thing that I tried to hold on to**_

She took his hand and placed his engagement ring in it. "It won't work," she said, forcing his fingers close around it.

_**And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time  
I want what's yours and I want what's mine  
I want you  
But I'm not giving in this time**_

She really did wish it didn't have to be that way. She wished it could have worked out. She wished she could just take it all back, but she knew it was just because she was feeling guilty. She knew it couldn't happen between them. As selfish as it may have sounded, she didn't want to give up her potential shot for true happiness for the sake of another's. She would not give into the heart-wrenching looks he gave her.

_**Goodbye to you  
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I loved  
The one thing that I tried to hold on to  
The one thing that I tried to hold on to**_

"You would regret marrying me in the end cause you would eventually realize that we're meant to be friends."

They sat there in silence. Will was once again trying to take in her words. The ring was still clutched in his palm. "There's someone else, isn't there?" he eventually inquired, "You've found someone else…"

"Yes," she answered truthfully, "He made me snap out of the illusion we've gotten ourselves into."

He saw the small smile tug at her lips and how her eyes got a faraway look into them. Mrs. Lovett had once confided in him that she would sometimes get like that whenever she started to think about him. He knew now, however, that that expression was now being solely used on the thoughts of another man. Was he angry? Of course! Jealous? Naturally. However, she was, first and foremost, his best and dearest friend, and her happiness and needs mattered greatly to him. If being his wife was not what she wanted, then he would just have to get over it. He figured he could live contently with just being her closest friend. Whoever the man was, he had no idea how lucky he was to be able to steal her heart. He just hoped the chap would be able keep her love, unlike himself. "He'd better treat you right," he grumbled, "or else he'll be answering to me!"

_**And when the stars fall  
I will lie awake**_

Kelsie looked at him in shock. Her bewilderment only grew when she saw that he was smiling at her. Granted, it was a slightly forced smile, but it was still a smile. "You don't hate me?" she asked.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," he admitted, "You will always be my most cherished friend in the world."

His heart was broken, but he tried to look like he was okay just to see her smile. He knew telling him all that she had had been extremely hard for her, and he didn't want her to feel horrible about herself any longer. He hadn't lied to her: hating her was something he could never even dream of. He leaned over and gave her one last kiss. It would be a kiss that he would always remember.

She couldn't deny him that kiss. After what she had done to him, Kelsie knew that it was the least she could do to ease his pain. "You will always be my best friend," she told him when they parted.

_**You're my shooting star**_

* * *

A/N: Reviews are always lovely to see! Also, you guys should all should know that the end is near. I suspect there will only be, at the most, four or five chapters left of this story. :( I'm actually kind of sad since this is my first story that I've published on here!


	25. RedHanded

_**A/N: Hey guys, there's another lemon in this one just so you know. If you don't want to read it, that's cool, but you need to skip down to the bottom of the chapter so you get some valuable information. Love you all! Don't forget to leave a nice, little review! :D**_

* * *

Chapter 25: Red-Handed

That night, Kelsie quietly crept up to the barbershop via the internal stairs. Sweeney was expecting her so he had kept both doors to his shop unlocked. He gave her a small look of annoyance as she plopped down in his lap. "I did it," she said, making herself comfortable.

The small wiggle of her bottom caused a small spark of arousal to shoot through the barber. After getting over what her innocent action had done to him, he focused in on her words. "Excellent," he finally replied.

Of course, he already knew that she had broken off the engagement with William. He had been hiding in the shadows of the hallway outside of the parlor throughout their entire conversation. He wanted to be close by so he could invite the boy up for a shave just in case Kelsie didn't follow through. He was willing to eliminate whoever tried to take what was his away, even if it so happened to be the best friend of the one he wanted to protect.

Kelsie smiled and nuzzled into Sweeney's chest, inhaling his scent. The spicy scent of his cologne always made her feel at ease. She was perfectly happy being in the arms wrapped around her. She let out a small moan when a hand started running through her hair and lightly massaging her scalp. She always melted when someone played with her hair. Trying to make herself even more comfortable, she snuggled further into Todd's shirt. As she was sitting there, it occurred to her how ironic it was that she felt at complete peace while cuddled in the arms of a man who had killed dozens.

Every move she made caused fire to erupt inside his veins. He was extra aware of each part of her female anatomy pressed against him. Awareness of those parts where only increased due to her, in his eyes, skimpy clothing consisting of double rolled, black cotton shorts, a white tank top that hugged her body snugly in all the right places, and a blue sports bra. Had she not realized when she came up to see him what her state of dress would make him want to do to her?

A sound of protest was emitted from her when he removed his fingers from her hair. She let out a gasp when his hand brushed over one breast and then moaned when it was squeezed. The other hand grasped her chin and tilted her head up to awaiting lips. She pulled away from the fiery kiss and quickly rearranged herself so she was straddling Todd in the chair. She leaned forward as if to kiss him again but ducked down to his neck. Sweeney's grip on her hips tightened and he took a sharp intake of breath when her lips ran over a particularly sensitive area. He felt her smile against his skin before she went to attack that spot again. She elicited a moan from his as she continuously bit, licked, and sucked at that one spot.

She stopped her conquest of his throat when she felt him tugging up her shirt. She raised her arms as the tank top was lifted above her head. She would worry about where he flung it later. When hands shoved themselves under her sports bra, she arched her back in pleasure effectively shoving her breasts into them. The infernal contraption was driving him insane. He wanted it off of her. He extracted one hand and took out one of his razors from its holster. Kelsie froze when she felt the cool metal against her skin. 'What is he doing?' she thought.

She closed her eyes when the blade slipped beneath her bra. She gasped when he raised his wrist and sound of ripping fabric reached her ears. With a perfect rip down the middle, it was much easier for him to slip it off of her. "That was one of my favorites," she mumbled, glancing at the ruined bra on the floor.

He took advantage of her distracted moment by engulfing an erect, rosy nipple into his mouth. A loud moan escaped her and she focused her attention back on him, not her destroyed bra. Mind hazy from the pleasure, she unconsciously began to undulate her hips. Mr. Todd responded in kind to the grind with a buck of his hips. The sensation was amazing to both of them so they continued the actions. Kelsie could feel her shorts becoming wetter.

Things began to escalate quickly from that moment. Pretty soon, all their clothes were gone and Sweeney was lowering Kelsie onto him. The new position allowed him to penetrate her even deeper causing new heights of pleasure for each of them. Kelsie's cries were so loud at one point that Todd covered her mouth with his own to muffle them. She came so hard that she all but screamed.

She collapsed in a panting heap on top of him. A few thrusts later, Sweeney was also as spent as she was. They sat there, neither wanting to move their still conjoined bodies. After a while, Kelsie finally decided that she had better return to her room. However, when she moved to get off of him, a moan escaped her when she felt his half-hardened member twitch inside of her. "Guess I can stay a little longer," she said, rolling her hips.

* * *

Kelsie returned to her room roughly an hour later. She stumbled down the dark stairs and returned to her room. She fell asleep that night with a large, content grin on her face. She had been so oblivious to the world around her that she didn't notice Mrs. Lovett emerge from the dark parlor.

The older woman had been on her way up to see Mr. Todd earlier when she had heard a noise as she was climbing up the stairs. She peered through the door's window and saw a sight that made her blood boil: Kelsie on top of Mr. Todd in Albert's old chair. Both of them were naked. Mrs. Lovett was no fool; she knew exactly what they were doing. The only time she had ever felt so much jealously flare up inside of her was when Lucy was with Benjamin.

She hid out in the parlor for the next hour, in the dark, thinking. Now that the engagement was broken off (she had been told when Will had left), she needed to find a new way for Kelsie to leave the pie shop. She needed to find the solution to that problem fast before Mr. Todd slipped further under the young witch's spell. Mrs. Lovett had Benjamin Barker stolen away from her, but she would never allow Sweeney Todd to slip through her fingers.


	26. Leave it All Behind

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_Mrs. Lovett had Benjamin Barker stolen away from her, but she would never allow Sweeney Todd to slip through her fingers._

* * *

Chapter 26: Leave it All Behind

Mrs. Lovett's plan started with trying to get Mr. Todd to realize that Kelsie was not right for him and also that it was time to leave the past behind him. Once he came to that epiphany, he would end the fling with her and finally see that the one who can handle him had been standing there the entire time. Kelsie would be so heartbroken that she would run immediately into her arms and ask her what she should do, and Mrs. Lovett would say, _'You should go home. This place isn't right for you anymore, dear. You'll be more unhappy here than you'll be in your own time.'_ The younger girl would listen to her just like every good child who listens to its mother. She would leave, and Mr. Todd would be free for the taking. It was an ingenious plan!

Giddy with the prospect of finally getting her love, Mrs. Lovett went up to the barbershop to deliver breakfast and execute her master plan. "Brought you some breakfast, dear, farm fresh eggs and a dollop of lovely clotted cream, only the best for my..."

She trailed off when she realized that she was being ignored. She could see that clouded look in his eyes. He was thinking about he judge again. She knew that he was slowly becoming more and more obsessed with the thrill of the kill than avenging his former wife. She had seen the blood stained pictures of his wife and child on the vanity when she had been cleaning once…Benjamin Barker really was dead. "Mr. T, might I ask you a question?"

She took his grunt as a 'yes'. "What did your Lucy look like?"

She saw him freeze. His hesitance to reply was a good enough answer for her. "Can't really remember, can you?"

"She had yellow hair."

Her eyes widened a small bit. So, Benjamin still lived on… It was going to be even harder to get him to see the truth of everything. "You've got to leave all this behind you now. She's gone... You keep looking down into the grave, you're never gonna look up. And life will just pass right by... Life is for the alive, my dear."

He didn't answer. He had realized that Lucy was gone a long time ago, but that still didn't mean he had to forget her. Being with Kelsie clearly showed that he was moving on, not that Mrs. Lovett knew _that _(or so he thought). Like the girl had said to him: Lucy would always be a part of Benjamin's heart, and she, Kelsie, would be a part of Sweeney's. However, he still felt the need to get rid to the Judge and the Beadle. It wasn't _just _for Lucy; it was for Johanna also. Johanna had suffered for fifteen years with those horrible men. He needed to rid the world of those who had ruined his life and then the life of his precious little girl.

"Mr. T, I know about Kelsie. Believe me when I say that you're making a mistake. She's not good for you. She's only a replacement Lucy to you. She's holding you back from moving on from everything. She can't make you happy…but I could. I can live with all your demons, she can't. She may be able to handle you now, but it won't last. She's so fragile; you'll eventually break her. She wasn't made to handle this sort of life. She'll only leave you in the end, but I'll never leave…I'll always be here for you. We could have a life we two... Maybe not like I dreamed, maybe not like you remember... But we could get by."

Before he could say anything, the door to the shop burst open. "Mr. Todd!" Anthony exclaimed, running inside, "Oh, Mrs. Lovett ma'am…"

"What is it, Anthony?" Todd asked, shifting his focus away from Lovett and onto the younger man.

"He has her locked in a _madhouse_," he replied, his tone full of bitterness.

Mr. Todd froze. Turpin had his daughter locked in an asylum? Fury flooded his entire being. "Where?" he all but growled.

"Fogg's Asylum. But I've circled the place a dozen times. There's no way in. It's a fortress!"

The room fell into silence. Anthony stood brooding. Todd paced the length of the room. Mrs. Lovett watched the two of them with a concerned look on her face. "I've got him!" Sweeney finally hissed, a gleam of happiness entering his eyes.

"Mr. Todd?"

"_We've got her_," Todd quickly corrected himself, grabbing Anthony by the shoulder, "Where do you suppose all the wigmakers of London go to obtain their human hair? _Bedlam!_ They get their hair from the lunatics from Bedlam!"

"I don't understand…"

"We shall set you up as a wigmaker's apprenticein search of hair—that will gain you access—then you will take her!"

The details were all worked out, and Anthony was soon on his way out the door proclaiming his many thanks to Mr. Todd. Once he was gone, Sweeney sat down at his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment. "Fetch the boy," he ordered Mrs. Lovett.

"Don't you think it's time you—

"Fetch the boy!"

Mrs. Lovett quickly left. She stomped down the stairs and saw Toby cleaning the outside tables. He was such a good lad; always the hard worker. "Toby…Mr. Todd requires you."

"Yes'm" the boy replied, stopping his work to walk up the stairs.

He was so obedient and naïve. He would do anything that she asked him to without question. Kelsie used to be like that when she was little. Why couldn't she have stayed that young girl that she had found that fateful day? She walked into the pie shop and saw the girl in question making crusts at the counter. As she watched her roll out dough, Mrs. Lovett knew that she would now have to, yet again, find another way to get her to leave.


	27. I Think I Love You

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_Why couldn't she have stayed that young girl that appeared in her bakehouse that fateful day? She walked into the pie shop and saw the girl in question making crusts at the counter. As she watched her roll out dough, Mrs. Lovett knew that she would now have to, yet again, find another way to get her to leave._

* * *

Chapter 27: I Think I Love You

Kelsie was on her way to her room to take rest before the dinner rush came in when someone grabbed her around the waist. She struggled against her captor until she heard a familiar voice in her ear. "Relax!"

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she hissed, playfully swatting Sweeney on the chest.

Her smile drooped when she saw the serious look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked, gently cupping his cheek.

"She knows."

Kelsie's eyes widened. How did Mrs. Lovett find out? She was sure that they had kept their relationship well hidden. "Oh, God…"

"Anthony found Johanna."

All the fear about Mrs. Lovett faded quickly. Johanna had been found! It was great news! "So, what's going to happen now?"

"Anthony is currently going to rescue her from Fogg's Asylum. The boy is going to get Turpin."

"The judge is coming here?"

"Yes."

"Does this mean it's all about to end? Tonight's the night isn't it? What's going to happen after all of it? What happens to us?"

"Nothing will be left here after tonight. I will have had my vengence. We're going away. Far away. It's time to escape this hellhole."

"We?"

"Yes, we."

Kelsie kissed him square on the mouth. She couldn't help herself! She was just so happy. Hearing him actually say those words officially proved to her that her choice to stay with him had been right. He responded to her kiss with equal fever. He had an inkling inside of him that it would be a while before they could embrace like they were again. "Go pack," he murmered against her lips, "We're leaving in the early morning."

"Wait!" she called as he started walking down the hall.

He turned at the touch of her hand on his arm. "I know it may be early and that you probably don't feel exactly the same way…"

"What?" he asked impatiently, getting slightly annoyed by her silence.

"I think I love you."

She had stunned him into silence. For once, the demon barber was at a loss for words and nerves briefly overtook him. Of course, she didn't expect him to say anything at all. "You don't have to say it back," she said quickly, "I just wanted you to know."

With a small smile, she turned and went into her room to pack.

* * *

A/N: So, my friends, we're quickly approaching the end of this story. I just wanted to give Sweeney and Kelsie at least one more completely fuffly chapter before the conclusion! As always, reviews are lovely and make my day.


	28. Escape

Last Time on My Bloody Reverie:

_"Nothing will be left here after tonight. I will have had my vengence. We're going away. Far away. It's time to escape this hellhole."_

_"We?"_

_"Yes, we."_

_…_

_"Wait!" she called as he started walking down the hall._

_He turned at the touch of her hand on his arm. "I know it may be early and that you probably don't feel exactly the same way…"_

_"What?" he asked impatiently, getting slightly annoyed by her silence._

_"I think I love you."_

_With a small smile, she turned and went into her room to pack._

* * *

Chapter 28: Escape

Mrs. Lovett was furious. She had heard the exchange between Kelsie and Mr. Todd as she was going to ask Kelsie for some help making more pie crusts. So, they were planning on running off together after the judge was dead…She had to find a way to prevent that from happening!

She made her way to Kelsie's room and knocked politely on the door. She heard a small 'thump' and scuffling behind the closed door. "Oh, hey!" Kelsie said when she finally opened the door, "Did you need something?"

"Yes, dear. I actually need some more crusts made. We sold a lot during the luncheon rush, and we may run out quickly by the time dinner comes around."

"Okay! I'll be out in a minute."

"What are you doing? Perhaps I could help you out."

Kelsie backed up as Mrs. Lovett stepped into her room. The older woman looked around and spotted the suitcase Kelsie had originally brought with her sticking halfway out from underneath her bed; there was a dress sleeve sticking out of it. She also took note of the spellbook and room key sitting on her nightstand. "I was just cleaning up a bit," Kelsie said, "I've been letting this place get too messy lately."

Mrs. Lovett nodded and waited for Kelsie to turn her back before slipping the book and key behind her back. "Well, suppose that I can get started on the shapes while you finish up in here," she said, backing towards the door.

"Thanks. I should be out in a bit," Kelsie replied, turning to give give her caretaker a smile.

Her eyes widened when she saw Mrs. Lovett standing in her doorway with her book and key in her hands. "W-what are you doing?"

"Kelsie, you know I love you, but I can't let you have him. I've waited fifteen years for him to come back, and I won't let anyone stand in my way of what I've worked so hard to obtain."

The door slammed shut and Kelsie heard the lock clicking into place. "No!" she cried, pounding on the door, "Let me out! Please!"

Mrs. Lovett ignored her cries. That girl was no longer her daughter; she was a threat who needed to be taken care of. She knew locking her in her room was only a temporary solution, but she would have to wait until after the dinner rush to properly take care of her. She didn't want to, but she may have to make the girl be in an unfortunate 'accident' like Albert had been in. She laid the book and key in the parlor before going to roll out some dough.

Kelsie was sitting down with her head leaning against the door. A stream of tears was steadily making their way down her cheeks. She should have known Mrs. Lovett had a scheme in her head. Maybe she should have told her about Mr. Todd sooner instead of keeping it a secret? All she wanted to do was keep her happy for a little while. After all, Mrs. Lovett had been through a lot, and she deserved some scrap of happiness in her bleak life. It didn't matter now what she should have possibly done despite it shattering Mrs. Lovett's heart, Kelsie had already screwed up her relationship with her second mother for good. Being locked in her room by the woman only proved how broken their bond had become.

She sat there for a long time by the door. The hardwood floor was uncomfortable, but she didn't even seem to notice the pain in her rear. She knew she that she had to get out. A feeling in pit of stomach told her that this was just a temporary imprisonment and something worse could be in store for her. Determination suddenly filled her and she stood. She threw open her suitcase and grabbed some new clothes. Once she was dressed in jean shorts, a black t-shirt, and running shoes for easier movement, she strode over to her jewelry box. As she lifted her necklace from it, she ran through all the spells she had memorized. Necklace securly clasped around her neck, she turned to faced the locked door. She knew what spell she needed to use. "Ouverez maintenant!" (Open, now!) she cried, pointing to the door.

The necklace flashed and the door opened. 'If she thinks taking away my spellbook is going to slow me down, she's dead wrong.'

She tip-toed her out of her room and started down the hall. She paused in her trek when she realized that it would probably be best if she wasn' seen. "Permettez aux ténèbres de me rendre invisible," (Let the shadows make me unseen) she said.

Her body instantly faded into nothingness. Being invisible was nothing new to her. She had often used the spell to steal her grandparents lighters for her candles and sneak up to the attic unseen by her family. Once her body was completely invisible, she resumed walking. She crept into the parlor and saw her spellbook resting on the table. She quickly snatched it up and stuck it in the waistband of her shorts. When she was sure the book was going to stay, she made her way to the front of the shop. She was about to go out and head up to Mr. Todd's when she started hearing a muffled cry. Curiousity getting the best of her, she followed the noises.

The cries lead her down to the bakehouse where the door was shut and locked. The closer she got to the door, the more familiar the voice became. "Toby?" she called out.

"Kelsie! Please, help me!" the boy cried, pounding on the door_._

"Permettez-moi d'être vu_." (Let me be seen.)_

When her visibility returned, she unlocked the heavy door and pushed it open. The minute he saw her, Toby launched himself into Kelsie's arms. "The-the pies!" he sobbed, "They're made out of humans! There're bodies in the corner! A man just fell down from a chute covered in blood!"

"Shhh, love, it's okay. I'm here."

"Kelsie we have to go! We have to go to the law!"

The both paused when they heard voices talking from not too far away. "Toby, you have to listen to me," Kelsie said, urgently, "You need to get out of here or else you're going to be killed!"

She lead the shaking boy over to one of the sewer grates. "Hide in the there. No matter what you hear, do not come out until I come get you."

"Come with me!"

"I can't. My place is here."

"That's not true! You can't stay here! Mr. Todd will kill you!"

"Yes, it is true, and no, I don't think Mr. Todd will kill me."

"How can you know for sure! He's a lunatic!"

"But I love him," Kelsie admitted quietly.

Toby looked shocked and then appalled. "Please, Kelsie…"

"No, Toby. I can't. Now, GO! They're coming!"

Not knowing if it would be the last time she saw the boy alive, she hugged him. He clung to her for a moment before turning to go down the hole. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled the grate back into place. "Please, at least let him survive all this," she quietly prayed, "Permettez aux ténèbres de me rendre invisible."

Just as she vanished, Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett burst through the door.

"**Toby…Where are you love?"**

Kelsie shuddered at the fake sweetness dripping from Mrs. Lovett's words. The two realized that Toby could have gone down into the sewers so they quickly headed to the catacombs. Kelsie went out of the bakehouse before making herself visible again. She waited until they came back to the bakehouse before making her appearance. They were in the pie shop when she approached them. "What's going on?" she asked them.

Mrs. Lovett stood there looking horrified at the sight of her. How had she gotten out? Her question was answered when she saw the necklace glinting in the candlelight. "The boy's escaped," Todd explained, "You and Mrs. Lovett go back down to the bakehouse to keep an eye out for him. The judge should be here soon."

Both women did his bidding and went back down. Each kept their distance from each other. "You honestly thought a locked door was going to stop me?" Kelsie finally had to ask.

"Had I known you had memorized some of your spells, I wouldn't have done it."

"Look, I know that we've got some serious issues right now. But we've been together for a long time. You've been like a second mother to me for years…"

"You should have thought of that before throwing yourself at Mr. T. You know that I love him, and yet you continue to sleep with him like a little whore."

"I DID NOT THROW MYSELF AT HIM! I'M NOT A WHORE EITHER! I LOVE HIM TOO DAMN IT!"

"YOU DO NOT LOVE HIM!"

Their argument was cut off by a body dropping down the chute. Kelsie covered her mouth in horror when she realized that it was the beggar woman who had been hanging around the shop. She must have wandered into the shop and Mr. Todd took care of her. They both hushed themselves when they heard footsteps and muffled talking. Judge Turpin must have been up there. "I never meant to hurt you," Kelsie whispered.

"You will never survive with him. He needs a real woman in his life, not a girl."

"I can't believe you hate me now because of him… The least you could do is be happy for him that he's found someone that will give him at least some meaning in his life once this is all over."

"It was supposed to be me!"

"Well, that's not really your decision now is it? Whether you like it or not, he's chosen me, and we're leaving this place once the judge is dead."

They stood there arguing back and forth until the chute opened once again. The bloody body of Judge Turpin fell in and landed on the two bodies of the beggar and the Beadle. "It's over," Kelsie whispered in shock, "It's finally over."

A choked cry escaped her when she felt something plunge into her back. She spun around and saw Mrs. Lovett standing behind her with a knife covered in her blood. (She had picked it up from the butchering table while Kelsie had been looking at the Judge.) Mrs. Lovett grabbed her by her necklace and pulled her close. "You'll never have him," she whispered before thrusting the knife into Kelsie's abdomen.

Kelsie let out a gasp of pain and began to tip backwards. Mrs. Lovett still had a grip on her necklace as she fell. The strain of the two forces pulling on it finally made the thin, silver chain snap causing Kelsie to collapse to the ground. Her skull cracked against the stone floor and blood began to seep into her aurburn curls. Every shallow breath from her one working lung (the stab to her back caused the other to collapse) caused her extreme pain and also more blood to gush from her wounds. Within moments, black began to eat away at her sight and her body started going cold. The last thing she saw was cold, brown eyes glaring at her.

Mrs. Lovett stared down at Kelsie as she bled out at her feet. The necklace and knife were held limply in her hands. In a flash, Kelsie had turned into the little, bleeding girl Mrs. Lovett had found lying at the bottom of the stairs leading to the bakery she had been going to. All the malice in her eyes disappeared as the items in her hands fell from her grip. She didn't care about the blood that soaked into her dress's skirts as she fell to her knees and lifted the top half of Kelsie's body into her arms. "Kelsie," she said in a broken whisper, lightly shaking her, "Stay with me! I'm sorry! Don't leave me! I'm so sorry!"

There was no response from the girl in her arms. Grief struck her like lightning when she realized that she couldn't respond. She would never speak again. She would never smile again. She would never hug again. She would never breathe again. Mrs. Lovett had killed her; she had killed her daughter. Sobs wracked her body as she placed a kiss on Kelsie's forehead with trembling lips. Anguished consumed her as she clutched her body close. To relieve her remorse and guilt she could only think of one thing to do:

She screamed.


	29. A Demon and a Witch

A/N: Well guys, this is it! I want to thank you all so much for reading this story! I hope you all continue to check out my future work. To all of my reviewers: You all rock! Seriously, you're all awesome! It was you guys who encouraged me to finish this story! And now, I proudly present to you, the final chapter of My Bloody Reverie…

Chapter 29: A Demon and a Witch

Screaming had been a mistake. Mrs. Lovett realized that Mr. Todd would soon be down to check on why she had cried out loud enough to raise the dead. Panicking, she quickly pulled Kelsie's limp body into the shadows where she wouldn't be spotted. She knew death was certain if Sweeney discovered that she had killed the girl. After Kelsie was tucked away, Mrs. Lovett happened to glance at the three bodies underneath the chute. "_You_," she whispered, finally taking in the beggar woman's appearance.

Even more frantic than she had been with Kelsie, she grabbed the arm of the dead lunatic and began dragging her towards the oven. She had to be burned so Mr. Todd wouldn't see who she was! Mrs. Lovett's face paled even more when the door banged open. "Why did you scream?" Todd asked, striding into the room drenched in blood.

"Oh, he was clutchin' onto me dress, but 'e's finished now!" she lied, nodding towards Judge Turpin's body.

"I'll take care of it. Open the door," he said, coming forward, "Open the door I say!"

He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her in the direction of the oven. After a moment of hesitation, she turned to go open the oven door. The light from the blazing fire raging inside of the oven illuminated the entire room. Mr. Todd glanced down at the beggar woman's body and did a double take. Despite the grime in it, he could still make out yellow hair. Cautiously, he stepped towards her and kneeled down. He brushed away the matted tresses from her face and gently pushed her onto her back. When the light caught her face, his fears were confirmed. "Don't I know you? She said," he whispered in disbelief.

He sat there for a moment, staring at the corpse of his once beautiful wife. "You knew she lived," he accused.

"I was only thinking of you," Mrs. Lovett said in her own defense.

Mrs. Lovett's bottom lip quivered. Yes, she had known Lucy was alive. She just had wanted to protect his already fragile mind. If he had known what his wife had become, he would have gone completely over the edge. She wanted him to be happy. She felt a sharp pang in her heart when she realized that Kelsie had had similar intentions. "You lied to me," he said, finally looking up at her.

The betrayed look on his face was enough to break her heart.

"**No, no. Not lied at all.**

**No I never lied!"**

"**Lucy…"**

"**Said she took the poison—she did—**

**Never said that she died!**

**Poor thing!**

**She lived—**

"**I've come home again…"**

"**But it left her weak in the head!**

**All she did was lie there in bed!"**

**"Lucy…"**

"**Should have been in hospital,**

**Wound up in Bedlam instead,**

**Poor thing!"**

"**Oh my God!"**

Mrs. Lovett was now standing behind him.

"**Better you should think she was dead.**

**Yes, I lied 'cos I love you!"**

"**Lucy!"**

"**I'd be twice the wife she was!**

**And more than Kelsie could ever be!**

**I love you!**

**Could that thing have cared for you like me?"**

"**What have I done?"**

Mr. Todd suddenly whipped around to face her. The predatory grin on his face caused her eyes to widen and for her to start backing away.

"**Mrs. Lovett,**

**You're a bloody wonder,**

**Eminently practical and yet**

**Appropriate as always,**

**As you've said repeatedly,**

**There's little point in dwelling on the past!"**

Wary of his intentions, Mrs. Lovett continued to back away from him. She froze like a frightened deer caught in the headlights of a car when her back bumped into the wall of the bakehouse. She pressed herself against it, futilely attempting to make herself melt through the stone.

**"Do you mean it? Everything I did I swear I thought**

**Was only for the best,**

**Believe me!"**

"**Now, come here, my love…**

**(He beckoned her to come to him with his hand, one hand still holding his razor)**

**Nothing to fear, **

**My love…**

**What's dead Is dead!"**

**"Can we still be Married?"**

Her fear melted away as Mr. Todd scooped her into his arms. They began to waltz around the room.

**"The history of the world, my pet— **

**"Oh, Mr. Todd, **

**Oh, Mr. Todd, **

**Leave it to me…" **

**"Is learn forgiveness **

**and try to forget!"**

**"By the sea, Mr. Todd, **

**We'll be comfy-cozy! **

**By the sea, Mr. Todd, **

**Where there's no one nosey…"**

Mrs. Lovett didn't notice that they were approaching the oven. She let herself indulge in her own little fantasy. Lucy really had died when she took the poison. Kelsie was alive and off on her honeymoon with William. Toby was upstairs asleep in his bed. Mr. Todd loved her! He wanted to marry her! They were going to live by the sea together and be the happiest people on Earth! She didn't notice the tears threatening to spill from her eyes…

**"And life is for the alive, my dear, So let's keep living it!"**

**(Both) "Just keep living it! **

**Really living it!" **

He flung her into the open oven. Her screams were deafening. She flailed around in the flames, trying to escape the horrible burning. Todd gave her one last look before slamming the door shut. He turned away once her final anguished cry died away. His gaze landed on the ever-still Lucy. His beloved razor, the thing he that he always kept in pristine condition and in his reach, landed on the dirty floor. He slowly walked over to Lucy and sat down beside her. He gently gathered her into his arms and cradled her. He continuously stroked her face. A wheeze drew his attention away from her. Kelsie emerged from the shadows of the room. Much like him, she was covered in blood, but, instead of being the blood of a corrupt judge, it was her own. As she hobbled towards him, Todd tenderly placed Lucy back on the ground and stood to go and help her. When he got to her, she collapsed in his arms. "Mrs. Lovett did this to you, didn't she?" he asked her, supporting her weight.

"Yes…"

With his help, Kelsie made her way over to Lucy. "She really is beautiful," she whispered as they sat down.

Kelsie laid down and rested her head on one of his knees. Sweeney lifted Lucy and placed her so her head was on his other knee. He began to slowly stroke the top of Kelsie's head, avoiding the cut from her fall. "I'm dieing," she told him.

"I know."

"I love you."

"…I love you, too."

With her last bit of energy, Kelsie sat up and kissed him. When her strength failed her, she fell back down into his lap. Tears began to leak from her eyes. "Sweeney, tell me a story," she requested, eyes beginning to grow heavy.

**"There was a barber and his wife, **

**And she was beautiful… **

**A foolish barber and his wife, **

**She was his reason and his life. **

**And she was beautiful… **

**And she was virtuous… **

**And he was… **

**Naïve…" **

She was gone. The wheezing that could be heard with each of her breaths no longer reached his ears. He looked down and would have sworn that she was just sleeping if it weren't for the blood staining her clothes. He then noticed that she had something clutched in her hand. He gently pried it open and saw that it was the pendant to her necklace. Despite the fact that she could no longer hear him, he continued to tell her the story she had requested.

**"There was a demon and a witch, **

**And she was marvelous… **

**A demon barber and his witch, **

**She gave him a reason to exist. **

**And she was marvelous… **

**And she was accepting… **

**And he was still… **

**Naïve…"**

Of course, there was a difference between the naivety of Sweeney and Benjamin. Benjamin was naive about the world; Sweeney was naive about his own feelings. Now that he knew for sure that he loved Kelsie, she was gone...

Toby had crept out of the sewer, drawn back to the bakehouse by Mrs. Lovett's screams, and saw Mr. Todd leaning over two bodies. The first he recognized as the beggar woman who had once stopped him in the street to try and tell him that the pie shop was unsafe. Why hadn't he listened to her? It took him a moment to realize who the second person was, but, when he did, he felt a fury rip through him that he had never felt before. He crawled forward and grabbed the abandoned razor. He opened the blade up and malicious thoughts that no young boy should have flooded his mind. He slowly walked over to Mr. Todd who was tenderly switching between tenderly stroking Kelsie and Lucy's cheeks. Sweeney had seen the boy emerge from the sewers out of the corner of his eye. He made no attempt to stop him when he picked up the razor and opened it. The silver blade was no longer the center of his world; it had served its purpose. He knew the look in the boy's eyes well. It was the same look that he got in his eyes while looking at or thinking about Turpin. He knew that the boy was going to kill him, but he didn't care. If anything, he was more than willing to die. With Lucy officially gone, Johanna running off with the sailor, and Kelsie dead, his life had no meaning. When Toby was behind him, he tilted his head back without complaint. There wasn't much pain. It only stung a little bit as the blade ripped open his skin. Once the razor was gone, Sweeney gradually let his head fall forward. His blood poured from the wound and began to drip down onto both Kelsie and Lucy. The last thing Sweeney Todd saw was all of their blood mixing together on the stone floor.

* * *

The police station got quite the surprise when a young boy wandered in. He was dirty and smelled like he had been rolling around in the sewers. He told them there had been a mass murder on Fleet Street in the home of his caretaker. He was the only one who had survived the ordeal. He even gave them the murder weapon that he had stolen from the killer before he escaped; a beautiful razor with a handle of chased silver. A squad of officers was sent over to see if it was true. Many of them were young and turned green in the face when the door to the bakehouse was opened.

Two bodies were immediately identified to be the Beadle Bamford and Judge Turpin. Both had died to slashes across the neck and head trauma from the fall from the chute above them. Two bodies, one of a man with dark hair and woman with golden hair, were found in the center of the room bathing in a pool of their own blood. They also had slits across their throats. The boy had told him that his caretaker, a woman, had been thrown into the oven, but when they went to investigate, they only found her ashes. What baffled all of the officers was that the boy had told them that there were six bodies in total: Two under the chute (both men), one in the oven (a woman), and three in the middle of the room (a man and two women). They had only found five bodies… Had the killer cremated one more victim after the boy had left? Or had the other woman lived, escaped, and was attempting to get help. The officer in command quickly divided the squad up. Six would look in the sewers and the other seven would search the streets for both the murderer and the girl.

Neither the killer nor the girl was ever found. The boy was placed back into the workhouse he had originally come from. It would later be known that the boy went insane and was locked up with all the other lunatics at Bedlam.

* * *

_All reveries must come to an end. After all, all a reverie is only a daydream. Eventually, you must wake up…_

An annoying beep was the first thing she heard. She cracked open her eyes but immediately snapped them shut due to the bright light. "Kelsie?"

It was a voice she hadn't heard in a long time. She tried to talk, but it felt like sandpaper was lodged in her throat. "M-Mom?" she eventually croaked out.

Kelsie forced her eyes open and saw that she was lying in a hospital room. Beside her, holding her hand was her mother. "Oh thank God!" her mom gasped, tears beginning to stream down her face, "Thank God you're all right!"

Kelly had never been happier in her entire life. Seeing her daughter open her eyes sent overwhelming relief through her. She couldn't help herself when she half-crawled into the hospital bed to embrace Kelsie. Both of them almost instantly started sobbing. "W-what happened?" Kelsie asked, pulling the oxgen mask away from her face.

'I thought I was dead!' she thought, flashes of the bakehouse going through her mind.

"I was hoping you could tell me! I went up into the attic, and there you were covered in blood and barely breathing! I called an ambulance and Kristine started doing CPR on you and tried to stop the bleeding. (Aren't you glad you have a cousin for a nurse?) When you got here they had to rush you into surgery so they could repair your lung and stitch you up. You lost so much blood that you needed an emergency transfusion. Despite them closing you up and giving you blood, your body was so weak that you slipped into a coma. You've been out for two weeks…God, Kels; I was so afraid that I'd lost you! You don't know how horrible it's been for me…finding you bleeding in the attic on the same day Grandpa died…you almost dieing…going to the funeral without you…"

Kelsie had forgotten that time practically stopped whenever she left her time. Months in the past meant minutes in the future. "I went back to London, Mom," she explained, "Grandpa gave me my book and necklace back when I was talking to him before he died…I've been gone a long time…"

"I know you went back. I found the necklace in your hand and the book in your pants when I found you. Don't worry, I left them in the attic. I guess I can't help it if you want to be like your great grandma...How did Grandpa get it from my room though?"

"He snatched it when he could still get out of bed. Apparently, he'd known about me using magic practically since I started. He wanted me to keep practicing…He told me that I would be happy if I went back to the past…"

"Exactly how long have you been gone?"

"Let's just say I'm not exactly eighteen anymore…"

"Six months…Was Grandpa right? About you being happy I mean."

"He was…at least until that last night…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Did she?

"Not now…"

"Okay…I'd better go get your doctor. He'll want to know that you're awake."

Ironically, a man dressed in a lab coat holding a chart walked in almost seconds after Kelly said that. "Well Miss Douglas, I'm glad to see that you're awake! We were real worried about you there for a little while. How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty."

The doctor chuckled. "I'd imagine! I'll have a nurse bring you something once I finish up this exam. There's also something I'd like to discuss with you."

After her examination, the doctor, Dr. Hudson, pulled up a chair next to her bed. The serious look on his face made Kelsie apprehensive of what he was going to say. After a pause to collect his thoughts, he finally spoke, "Miss Douglas, there's something you should know…"

THE END

A/N: Did I ever mention that there's a sequel in the works? You all better be looking out for it!


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